This month, there are a bunch of things on around Brisbane to interest and intrigue you as well as add some colour and festivity to your winter.
1. Immerse yourself in a multi-sensory modern art experience
If you experience one piece of culture this month, make it Monet in Paris. Making its global debut in Brisbane until August 6, this multi-sensory experience takes guests on an adventure through the iconic artworks of the world’s most renowned Impressionist painters. The custom-built Le Grand Palais marquee is divided into five immersive rooms, and a gallery where you can admire enormous, high-definition projections using cutting edge SENSORY4™ technology. You can even upgrade your visit with a French-inspired High Tea, a painting session with champagne or an after-hours party with incredible art activations, DJs and specialty cocktails. Book your ticket now!
2. Indulge in cheese fondue and mulled wine at this rooftop igloo dining experience
Lina Rooftop’s winter igloo dining experience is back in South Brisbane, giving you the chance to luxe out in style during the cold season.
From Wednesday, June 28, you’ll be able to enjoy the cityscape with a side of cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, mulled wine, grazing boards, and bubbly. There will also be live entertainment to immerse you in the evening, as well as light shows and artificial snow that falls onto the rooftop.
Lina Winter Wonderland Igloo Experience
3. Get a taste of a Euro holiday without leaving Brisbane at this French festival
If you couldn’t make it overseas for the Euro summer this year, not to worry; Le Festival is back in town to give you a taste of France without the long-haul flight. And without leaving Brisbane at all.
Over three massive days in July, this iconic rendezvous will showcase all things French, from the music and food to the lifestyle and more.
4. Satisfy your sweet tooth for World Chocolate Day on July 7th
Satisfying your sweet tooth is a necessity sometimes. And there’s nothing quite like a bite of moreish chocolate that just melts in your mouth. Ditch the supermarket for your next choccy haul. Brisbane has a selection of specialty chocolate ready for you to indulge in.
See also: 5 Brisbane chocolate shops that will cure your cocoa cravings
5. Feast at Brisbane’s newest foodie fest
Roma Street Parkland will become home to a new food festival for a whole weekend this July.
Providore Park showcases makers and creators for two days of dining alongside an array of market stalls, live music and curated activation such as private picnic soirees, pop-up croquet and more.
6. Wander around this stunning showcase of Indigenous art
Reflections – A Reflection of Brisbane’s Waterways is a new and free outdoor art gallery that showcases and celebrates Brisbane-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Large-scale banners, installations and night-time projections are set up across various locations in Brisbane City, and it’ll be around until October 2.
Artwork locations: King George Square car park, Eagle Lane, Edison Lane, Fish Lane, Ann Street, Irish Lane, Elizabeth Street Vitrine, Queen Street Vitrine, Hutton Lane, Giffin Lane, Howard Smith Wharves projection and Museum of Brisbane digital screen.
7. Soak up the nostalgia at this Winnie The Pooh Musical
After critically acclaimed runs in New York, London, and Chicago, Winnie The Pooh Musical will wow crowds in Brisbane before making its way across the nation with Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Melbourne on the cards, as well as eight other Australian cities and towns.
The musical is based on none other than the iconic Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robinson and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, and Owl too. Jonathan Rockerfeller is the creative behind the musical adaptation which brings the characters to life featuring stunning life-size puppetry fit for audiences of all ages.
8. Try the new winter menu at Bar Kazba
Fortitude Valley’s vegetarian favourite, Bar Kazba, has launched their winter menu, alongside the Soufra Lunch Mezze.
For only $40 per person, tuck into a delicious old school hummus, potato bread with za’atar, salad of tomato, BBQ cauliflower shawarma, and finish with our the halva chocolate mousse.
Available from 12pm Monday to Saturday.
9. Be dazzled by the Banksy exhibition
The Art of Banksy: “Without Limits” has been extended for its final dates, which means it’ll be around for the whole of July.
This exhibition is one of the biggest and most complete collections of Banksy’s work, with artworks sourced from over 40 different art collectors around the world.
Inside, there’s also an infinity room, where visitors can step into a room full of multiple installations, including the renowned Dismaland Bemusement Park.
The Art of Banksy: “Without Limits”
10. Dine in a garden pod on Bribie Island
Bribie Island Hotel has set up Garden Pods you can dine in this winter. For $60 per person, you’ll get to spend two hours in the Garden Pod eat delicious food, with a complimentary drink on arrival.
You’ll start with an antipasto platter of chargrilled vegetables, Australian cheeses, selection of dips, toasted sourdough, arancini, chilled meats, olives, and sundried tomatoes.
Then for mains: grilled teriyaki beef skewers, buffalo chicken wings, and BBQ glazed pork ribs, complemented with oven-roasted chat potatoes, sweet potato, parsnip and a rocket, pear, pecan, blue cheese & caramelized onion salad.
Garden Pods @ Bribie Island Hotel
11. Take a look at the revamped GPO Building
The GPO precinct in Fortitude Valley has undergone a huge $9 million makeover, with three exciting new venues to enjoy once it’s complete. This includes contemporary restaurant TAMA, as well as The Gatsby, an upscale lounge bar, and island bar The Tax Office.
The Gatsby and TAMA are set to open July 9.
12. Relax by the fire at this Mount Cotton vineyard
Indulge in a cosy evening under the stars with your very own firepit and picnic hamper at Sirromet Wines in Mount Cotton.
As part of the experience, you’ll get to enjoy a hamper filled with locally sourced meats, cheese, crackers, and delectable sweets. And to wash it down, mulled wine.
13. Find some local handmade goodies at these Brisbane markets
We love going to the markets here in Brisbane. There’s nothing quite like waking up early (or after dark if we’re talking night markets) and heading out for a browse among a variety of stalls from local makers. We’ve rounded up some of the best markets in Brisbane, from weekly hives and monthly affairs to seasonal markets too – to make your moseying and browsing decisions a little easier.
14. Eat a meal while blindfolded at ‘Dining in the Dark’
Imagine stepping inside a restaurant blanketed in darkness and being served a sublime three-course meal – the flavours and textures of which are intensified by your remaining senses. Sounds a little bit incredible, right?
An experience that’s been backed by psychologists as an ‘amplified’ way to enjoy food, the enticing ‘Dining In The Dark’ has arrived in Brisbane with plenty more dates this month so you can find out for yourself.
15. Check out this free dinosaur exhibition
If you’re looking for something free and fun to do this month, Queensland Museum has just recently opened a permanent gallery dedicated to dinosaurs.
Learn more about prehistoric times through geological treasures, cutting-edge palaeo technology and ground-breaking research from the museum’s scientists.
You’ll also get to discover Queensland’s own dinosaurs, giant marine reptiles, supersized megafauna, and more.
Dinosaurs Unearthed: Explore Prehistoric Queensland
16. Escape to an off-grid cabin
We’ve rounded up some fabulous places where you and your favourite person/people in the world can go to escape, relax and refresh. Some of these picturesque cabins, cottages and chalets near Brisbane have wood fires where you can throw on another log to hear it crackle and hiss as it burns throughout the colder winter months, others are surrounded by lush rainforest and a few more have vistas that make waking up a breeze.
17. Try your hand — and appetite — at Australia’s biggest nachos
After becoming a go-to Mexican joint on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, California Tacos has now opened in Brisbane, bringing with it Australia’s biggest nachos.
Gather your nacho-loving pal(s), head over to the West End eatery and opt for the $55 share size on the menu. After you demolish this huge plate of nachos, you can say that you’ve eaten Australia’s largest.
18. Experience a candlelight concert
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Brisbane. Get your tickets now to discover the music of ABBA at the Masonic Memorial Centre this July under the gentle glow of candlelight.
19. Head to the riverfront for some neon-lit entertainment
The colder evenings may be upon us, but Brisbane is still brimming with reasons to go out. Get ready to immerse yourself in Nightfall & Neon, a new neon-lit event designed exclusively for adults.
This dazzling event is set to illuminate Riverbar & Kitchen on Fridays and Saturdays from June 23 to July 30. Prepare for six weeks of live music, roaming entertainment and vibrant cocktails, all within a neon-lit space.
20. See this stage adaptation of Tiny Beautiful Things
Academy Award nominee Nia Vardalos’ stage adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s New York Times bestselling novel Tiny Beautiful Things has arrived at Brisbane’s Billie Brown Theatre and will be showing until July 8.
The story centres on Sugar, an online anonymous advice columnist. Amid the clutter of family life, Sugar receives emails from strangers urgently needing help navigating the contradictions and complexities of life. Replying with candor and her own tough, sweet brand of unadulterated advice, Sugar offers a path to healing and catharsis for her recipients.
You can also watch the TV series adaptation on Disney Plus.
Tiny Beautiful Things in Brisbane
21. Marvel at Cirque du Soleil’s first ever show on ice
With 41 productions under the belt, Montreal circus legends Cirque du Soleil are known for their jaw-dropping performances around the world. ‘CRYSTAL’ is the very first performed on ice.
Not only does the ‘CRYSTAL’ show combine a selection of circus performances on ice, everything from figure and extreme skating to aerial aerobics. But word on the street is that remastered pop songs also feature, including Halo by Beyonce, Chandelier by Sia, even Beautiful Day by U2.
22. Putt your way through this glow-in-the-dark mini golf course
In June and July, St Lucia Golf Links is set to light up after dark with a luminous putt-putt course. Complete with glow-in-the-dark golf balls to hit down twinkling pathways, GLOW Mini Golf is set to be a dazzling way to spend a night during the cooler months.
The illuminated course plays host to glistening features and lights at each hole, bringing ambiance and difference to the game we know and love — all the while being a choice backdrop for photos.
23. Watch the State of Origin from one of these local pubs
Even though Queensland has taken the win for this year’s State of Origin, game three will still be going ahead on the evening of Wednesday, July 12.
Instead of watching the game at home, you can head to Brisbane pubs such as Regatta Hotel, The Crown Hotel, The Boundary Hotel, Port Office Hotel, Cleveland Sands Hotel, Koala Tavern and Salisbury Hotel to join in on the atmosphere.
24. Hit the trails for some winter hiking near Brisbane
Brisbane is home to some of the most breathtaking hikes in the country, there’s no denying it. Just a short drive from the city, you’ll find national parks galore full of trails and walking tracks that you can tackle: a lot of them boasting spectacular views and nature therapy. So what are you waiting for? Pack the car and get outdoors for leg day on one of these epic hiking spots in and around Brisbane.
25. Listen to live music for free
Sometimes some mid-week entertainment is a must, and The Triffid is the perfect place to get that. On Wednesdays, there’s free live music in the evening from local musicians.
Then every Saturday and Sunday from 3-6pm, the lawn at Howard Smith Wharves is home to free live music. So come down and grab a bite and a bev at one of the many waterfront venues on offer down there.