In an era of misinformation and manipulated or outright fabricated images, human-made photojournalism has taken on a new level of importance and power, and there’s no better place to appreciate it than the World Press Photo Exhibition 2026, which is coming to Brisbane Powerhouse as part of its world tour.
The exhibition features the winning photographs from the 69th annual World Press Photo Contest, chosen by an independent jury of professionals from all over the world, with Kira Pollack, a 2025 Walter Shorenstein Media & Democracy Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, at the head of it. The collection showcases the most important and impactful photojournalism and documentary photography of the past year.
The jurors evaluated a whopping 57,376 photographs submitted by 3,747 photographers across 141 countries, narrowing it down to seven impactful images from each region — Africa, Asia-Pacific and Oceania, Europe, North and Central America, and South America.
Some of the selected photos reflect major global events — from scenes of war to political and environmental crises, these images provide a frame to our shared reality — but equally compelling and maybe even more poignant are the ones that represent smaller-scale, personal stories, and they all offer a powerful visual record of our times. As Pollack put it, “This is a critical moment — for democracy, for truth, for the question of what we as a society are willing to see and call out and what we are willing to ignore. The photographers recognized here have done their part. They have made the record. Now it is our turn to look.”
Part of the power of these images is the thought and decision behind them. These are all moments deemed worthy of being captured and witnessed by the photographers themselves and, through their art and expert eye, by the rest of us too.
Thanks to its partnership with Brisbane Airport and with the aim of bringing these award-winning photographs to as many people as possible, a selection of images will also be gracing the airport’s terminals, giving you ample reason to arrive for your flight with time to spare!
Practical information
The main exhibition is free entry and will be displayed all throughout Brisbane Powerhouse from Saturday, May 30 to Sunday, June 21 from 9am to 5pm, with extended hours over the weekend.
The bulk of the exhibition is on the Turbine Platform, then continues in the Fairfax Studio on the lower level at Brisbane Powerhouse.
📍Brisbane Powerhouse, Yuggera and Turrbal Country, 119 Lamington St, New Farm
