Since opening in April 1985, QPAC has welcomed more than 30 million people and has played host to more than 33,500 performances on its stages, gifting Brisbanites and visitors alike tens of thousands of unforgettable memories. There’s no better way to keep the party going than to come together as a community on April 12 and celebrate 40 years of music, dancing, laughter and tears — the good kind, of course — with free live performances on the Melbourne Street Green, free QPAC Discovery Tours and exclusive giveaways!
QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy elaborated on the celebration, saying, “We have a bumper year ahead of brilliant programming – there’s something for everyone – and there will also be a few milestone moments when we’ll throw the doors open, roll out the welcome mat and invite our community to celebrate with us.
“The first of those will be this Saturday 12 April for an all-day birthday celebration on our Melbourne Street Green, with free live performances throughout the day, a ‘Golden Ticket’ giveaway, backstage tours, free coffee and birthday cupcakes from 9 to 11am, and other interactive and engaging experiences.
“We’ll have another open-house event in late August with even more opportunities to explore QPAC in new and unexpected ways.
“Throughout the year, we’ll also dip into the massive QPAC Museum Collection of more than 80,000 items to share our fascinating history.”
It wouldn’t be QPAC without some jaw-dropping acts, so on Saturday, attendees will be treated to several incredible performances. First up, Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre (BEMAC), Queensland’s leading multicultural arts organisation, which showcases artists who might otherwise remain outside institutional recognition, including Australian-born artists from diverse backgrounds, are sure to put on a fascinating show.
Omiya artists will then take the stage, bringing the best that the Asian diaspora in the Australian music scene has to offer and, later on, the audience will get to experience the virtuosity of Queensland Conservatorium’s repertoire and QMusic artists’ incredibly varied music.
Hungry for more performances? Try your hand at winning the QPAC 40 Golden Ticket, which will grant the lucky winner a double pass to each of QPAC’s officially designed QPAC 40 events! This includes Out of the Box, a children-centred festival that offers performances, workshops, and other fun activities for the whole family.
The delicate and impressive Ballet Preljocaj is returning to the Lyric Theatre with Swan Lake and will also be a part of the celebration. And, finally, QPAC’s annual celebration of First Nations arts and culture: Clancestry. This festival is an integral part of the fabric of the centre’s annual program and has shone the spotlight on many remarkable First Nations artists over the years, and on QPAC’s 40th anniversary, it promises to be bigger than ever!
Here’s what’s up for grabs:
- Ballet Preljocaj – double pass
- Clancestry Festival – a double pass to an event of your choosing
- Out of the Box – a double pass to an even of your choosing
- La bohème – double pass
- A Few Good Men – double pass
- The Dictionary of Lost Words – double pass
- Open Season – a double pass to a QPAC event of your choosing
- Double pass to a TBA world premiere production as part of Brisbane Festival
There will also be free QPAC Discovery Tours, which usually require pre-booking, and give visitors a chance to step behind the curtains and experience the thrill of the performing arts from backstage.
Think of this as your (free!) all-access pass to QPAC’s birthday party and, best of all, you won’t even have to awkwardly sing Happy Birthday in order to enjoy some cupcakes!