It’s time to raise the curtain on a show unlike any other. To celebrate 70 years of creativity, innovation, and beloved characters, the exclusive-to-Brisbane exhibition Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company is bringing the antics of the world’s most famous puppets to QAGOMA.
This unprecedented exploration of the world-building and imaginative storytelling of The Jim Henson Company, founded by Jim and Jane Henson in 1955, will take visitors on a journey through every era of the screen’s most cherished characters, who continue to revolutionise and revitalise the art of puppetry in TV and film.
These loveable characters are a cultural touchstone all over the world, and have left an indelible mark on entertainment, education and pop culture, with everything from Fraggle Rock and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, the edgy fantasy worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, not to mention, of course everyone’s favourites: The Muppets and the residents of Sesame Street.
As immense and immersive as the JMCU (Jim Henson Cinematic Universe), the exhibition will explore the company’s fascinating trajectory from traditional practical puppetry to more modern animatronic and digital techniques, and their ceaseless dedication to the careful craft and design of the puppets and many trailblazing developments in puppeteering.
Brisbane and Australia will even get a moment in the spotlight, as there will be items from The Portable Door — filmed in our very own River City — sci-fi cult darling Farscape, which was filmed in Sydned, and creations from other Company-produced films, such as beloved Oscar-winner Babe.
Across three awe-inspiring chapters spanning the entire ground floor of GOMA, you’ll be able to see hundreds of objects, with everything from practical puppets and animatronics to props, costumes, moving image clips and even original drawings.
Plus, in a couple of world-firsts, Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company will include the Great Hall set from the Emmy Award-winning television series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, taking you behind the scenes of a working puppeteer’s film set, and you’ll get to witness the beauty of a giant Landstrider puppet from The Dark Crystal.
Film buffs will be happy to know the exhibition will also feature an exclusive cinema program of over 90 films showcasing productions created by The Jim Henson Company, as well as projects that feature the work of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
For a hands-on experience for the little ones, the Sock Puppet Studio will run daily during the school holidays, where kids can channel their inner puppeteer by creating and bringing to life their very own sock puppets using techniques from The Jim Henson Company!
Practical information
Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company will run from Saturday, September 12, 2026 to Sunday, April 18, 2027.
Its opening will be a part of Brisbane Festival in September.
Tickets for adults start from $38, and they are timed, starting every 15 minutes, from 10am to 4pm (the exhibition closes at 5pm). You can get yours here!
📍QAGOMA, Stanley Pl, South Brisbane
