27 Great Things To Do This Weekend In Brisbane
Welcome to the weekend!
There’s plenty more going on this weekend aside from Brisbane Festival events, so here are a few of our top recommendations on where to go, what to see, and what to look forward to this weekend in the city and surrounds.
1. Spin me right round
What’s your favourite Kylie Minogue song? Well, whatever it is, you’re sure to hear belting out of the speakers this Friday night at The Triffid because they’re celebrating the 21st anniversary of Kylie’s Light Years album. Yes, it has been that long.
There will also be live performances from drag queens Sellma Soul (The Voice) & Shanny T-Bone (Miss Melt Beauty Pageant 2021) as well as hit songs from others like Sister Sledge, Abba, Lady Gaga, Cindy Lauper, Cher, and RuPaul.
Dancing is a must so long as you do it safely and socially distanced.
More info2. Blak Superheroes by Dylan Mooney
Proud Yuwi, Torres Strait Islander and Australian-born South Sea Island man, Dylan Mooney, draws First Nations characters in a dynamic comic-book style that incorporates his stylistic drawing, street art technique and printmaking.
Dylan is inspired by history, culture and community, and attempts to refocus our our perspective on Blak characters by bringing them into the spotlight. His works reflect the resilience, innovation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
More info3. Red Bull Dance Your Style Australia
Newstead Gasworks is hosting the return of Red Bull’s Dance Your Style competition. Showcasing the best of improvised dance with head-to-head battles (the music selection will be a surprise to everyone but the organisers), this is our chance to see and judge some of our city’s best, finest and most innovative pop, lockers, house and hip-hop dancers.
It’s happening on Saturday 18 September from 11am.
More info4. Meat Up BBQ Festival
It was supposed to happen in August, but then it didn’t. No worries though because beers, bourbon and BBQ are coming together on Saturday 18 September. The Eastons Hill Hotel’s first official festival dedicated to cooked meats will also see live entertainment, eating competitions and more.
More info and tickets5. Magic Men
Magic Mike Live has been cancelled half-way through its Melbourne run of shows and announced that it is no longer coming to Brisbane (or anywhere else in Australia for that matter) anytime soon.
If you’re still keen on a cheeky night out, you’re in luck as Australia’s best male dancers are serving up a heart-racing and sweat-inducing spectacle. From the hunky stars in their eye-catching costumes to the gorgeous waiters, who will be serving you a glass of sparkling on arrival and carrying around complimentary finger food for you to bite down on in the case it all gets a bit much, this is one cheeky show that is not for the prudish.
More info and tickets6. A Midnight Visit
This was supposed to be our last weekend to be able to experience A Midnight Visit but for one reason or another, it’s staying until the end of September and we’re stoked. And what’s more is that Innocent Bystander are now doing wine and cheese tastings on Thursdays and Sundays. They’re still doing themed cocktails and pouring wines and beers in the pop-up bar before and after each performance as well.
Inspired by the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, A Midnight Visit is an immersive theatre experience that is part choose your own adventure, part performance, part sound world, part surreal playground and one incredible journey into the House of Usher.
No two journeys are the same.
More info and tickets7. The Strawberry & Dessert Festival
We didn’t know that Queensland accounted for 33% of Australia’s strawberry production. But now that we do, we can totally get behind the Sandstone Hotel’s Strawberry and Dessert Festival—actually, we could get behind it anyway because, umm, yumm.
If you’re after farm-fresh strawberries, strawberry eating competitions, dessert food trucks, dessert cooking and cocktail making demonstrations, live music, fireworks, kid’s rides and plenty more, then Sandstone Hotel is your go-to destination this Saturday 18 September.
8. Halloween Putt Putt
It’s not Halloween yet, but the spiderwebs are out and spooky scenes have taken over Victoria Park’s Putt Putt course. If you’re up for a Halloween scare, then get on down and have a play. You’ll be putting through Pumpkin Patch, Witch’s Way, The Freaky Forest and Skeleton’s Graveyard among more.
It’s fun for everyone and then when Halloween is over and done, it’ll soon be time for Victoria Park’s Christmas course to take over.
The Halloween Putt Putt course opens on September 17.
More info9. Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers
It’s September, it’s spring, it’s a grand time to be out and about and appreciating nature’s beauty.
Toowoomba is a great place to do this as well and right now Australia’s longest-running floral event is on. There are plenty of public floral displays to enjoy but this weekend you can check out The Chronicle Garden Competition which is one of the showcases of the festival. To find the locations of these gardens, you’ll need to get your hands on The Chronicle newspaper on Friday 17 September or purchase a copy from the TCOF Info Hubs or from the Toowoomba Visitor Information.
There’s more than flowers to see as wells so make sure you head over to the website if you’re keen on getting out of town this weekend.
10. Farm Gate Trail
The Scenic Rim is home to heaps of local producers providing the state with plenty of food and drink that we love to taste at city restaurants and pick up from markets around town. However, the Farm Gate Trail, which launched just last week, will see many of us hit the road to and go to this foodie paradise ourselves.
Whether you’re looking to pick up wines, cheese, learn a thing or two from a cooking class or sit down to some fine dining, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Eat and explore from Saturday until October 23.
More info11. Candlelight Concerts
If vintage classical music isn’t quite your jam, then no worries because the Candlelight series has upped the offering with tribute concerts to jazz and rock greats as well as Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi.
Take a look at all the Candlelight concerts this month12. Get a free cheeseburger from Motto Motto
Four Japanese-inspired burgers have been released in anticipation of International Cheeseburger Day on Saturday 18 September where there will be special offers at Motto Motto like the 2-for-1 Wagyu Cheeses available all day at all their stores. But, if you get there early enough, say one of the first 100 people, you’ll get one for free!
13. Check out this new Italian bar
In Bar Tano, which opened on Wednesday 15 September, owners James and Alec Carney of the Gemelli Group and Italian restaurant Gemelli Italian said that they wanted a bar reminiscent of their beloved haunts in Italy as well as the true expression of the Italian socialising ritual.
Typically, the bar is stocked with a large range of Italian wines. But then there is the head bartender Fabrizio Del Re who blends his imagination and expertise to create classic Italian cocktails using traditional techniques—Aperol Spritz and Negroni—as well as a number of bespoke drinks which you’re going to want to try.
14. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien with choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory promises to be a joyride for young and old alike.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory begins its run of shows on Thursday 2 September and will close on Sunday 19 September.
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15. Street Serenades
Free concerts. We repeat, free concerts.
Check out the program for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
16. Free Art Installations
Messengers of Brisbane (those giant birds) have returned and so to has Amanda Parer with a work titled Lost—a larger-than-life installation of oversized and extinct botanicals taking over West Village.
For all free events this weekend, see here.
17. Imaginaria
The hour-long journey through light, sound, and scent has sold-out sessions when it opened in Melbourne and wowed visitors with its displays. But for Brisbane Festival, it’s turning up with eight brand-new rooms out of a total of 10.
this immersive pop-up play space is the work of Loose Collective, a group of designers, architects, audiovisual artists and electronic producers, who have teamed up with other creators, artists and producers to create a wonderland for the senses. And to be honest, we couldn’t be more excited about losing ourselves in what they have created. Over and over again.
18. ArtBoat
Eness, the art and technology studio, will showcase its installations Sky Castle and Airship Orchestra on board a sunset cruise down the Brisbane River. Travelling between Northshore, Hamilton and South Bank, the floating art experience will also encompass a lively bar and performances.
19. BOQ Festival Garden
Brisbane Festival has a home base this year and it is located in the lush surrounds of South Bank Parklands. Set up as a playground of food, wine, entertainment and discovery, it invites everyone to come along and check out what’s on offer there and all around town.
There’s also a bunch of performances and interactive works to spark the imagination at BOQ Festival Garden including I Believe, Light Seesaw and Imaginaria.
For everything happening at BOQ Festival Garden, see here.
20. What’s That by Amanda Parer
You’ve already seen her name on this list as part of Brisbane Festival, but another of Amanda Parer’s works has showed up in Brisbane.
We’re counting ourselves lucky because What’s That, a five-metre tall giant humanoid that is part of Parer’s larger collection of figures titled Fantastic Planet, has arrived at Portside Wharf and will remain until September 26. Find more info here.
21. Springfinity
The three-month outdoor art exhibition is showcasing work from artists including Emma Hack (pictured), Beth Mitchell, Jasmine Dowling and Mogu Takahashi among others at 11 locations in Brisbane City. You’ll find the pieces on lightboxes, banners, vitrines and, of course, on walls.
View the map here to find all the works of art.
22. Titanic The Movie The Play
We all know how the story goes, but why not see the Titanic sink one more time with aristocratic Rose and lowborn Jack and their story of love.
Produced by Act React, a Brisbane-based company specialising in pop culture-inspired performances, this show promises Hollywood-esque special effects and more for a hilarious live show and night out for all.
More info and tickets23. Sip G&Ts on a double-decker bus
On Sundays, The True Spirit will be parked up at Riverside Markets providing Gin Tastings as well as handcrafted cocktail flights. Sittings last for only 30 minutes, but in that time you will be served one of two cocktail flights (24.99), with each flight containing three handcrafted cocktails.
Book your spot onboard the double-decker gin bus for you and up to five friends here.
24. Brickman Wonders of the World
More than 50 structures have been recreated using the famous plastic bricks. Some of the displays are tall (space shuttle), some of them are heavy (the Titanic) and others are long (the Tokyo subway). Other wonders of the world include the Great Wall of China and Taj Mahal as well as the Empire State Building.
Ryan McNaught is one of LEGO Master Australia Judge and one of only 14 certified LEGO builders in the world, so you just know that this exhibit is going to be pretty spectacular as well as fun for the whole family.
More info25. Lumber Punks
The team at Lumber Punks are no slouches when it comes to hurling hatchets. They’ve got real axeperience nailing their targets and they’ll be on hand to help you spin the primaeval tool. Soon, you too will be hitting your target 100% of the time—hopefully.
Each axe-throwing session begins with a brief safety induction & training on how to best throw the SOG Tomahawks before you get to have a go yourself. After much experimentation, you’ll hopefully start to get the hang of things and then you’ll move on up to the large Estwing Camp Axes.
26. City In The Sun
Museum Of Brisbane’s newest exhibition City In The Sun explores Brisbane’s subtropical image with large-scale new contemporary artworks featured alongside historical imagery depicting the city’s history of migration, tourism, climate and environment.
The exhibition will question if Brisbane still is this City In The Sun or if it ever really was. There’s plenty to explore and plenty that will bring the memories flooding back.
Entry is free.
More info27. European Masterpieces From The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
European Masterpieces From The Metropolitan Museum Of Art.
Exclusive to Brisbane, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And since this will be the only tour that The Met conducts in 2021, this is also a huge coup for Queensland and Australia with most of the artworks unlikely to ever return Down Under ever again.