Step into the Brightly Brisbane Festival and celebrate amongst friends at these top events
“Block out your September because you are going to want to be part of this party!” Truer words have never been spoken, by Artistic Director Louise Bezzina. The Brightly Brisbane Festival program celebrates our city with an awe-inspiring line-up of 18 new works, delivering 130 productions, 18 of which are First Nations-led, and present events in a staggering 222 locations across the city, over 3-25 September.
We’ve made it easy for you and rounded up the top events that will add colour and inspiration to your lives! Share the love and send your friends this selection!
When: Every Thursday – Sunday of the Festival
Where: Northshore, Hamilton and South Bank
Tickets: From $35
This wondrous floating art experience travels between Northshore, Hamilton and South Bank, immersing audiences in a glowing world and bathing the Brisbane River in a new light. Find more information on this event here.
When: Friday 3 - Saturday 25 September
Where: 412 Stanley Street, South Brisbane (adjacent to Queensland Maritime Museum)
Tickets: $23.95 + booking fee
Question your reality, feed your imagination and immerse yourself in a world of light, sound and wonder throughout 10 multi-sensory interactive and jaw-dropping rooms at IMAGINARIA. Find more information on this event here.
When: Friday 3 - Saturday 25 September
Where: All across Brisbane
Tickets: FREE
Street Serenades is back in 2021, with the party coming to you! Brisbane Festival will serenade 190 Brisbane suburbs featuring some of the country’s best contemporary musicians. From DJs, cabaret shows, circus, and intimate concerts across folk, jazz and world music, as well as our finest classical musicians, and ballet dancers. Find more information on this event here.
When: Friday 3 - Saturday 25 September
Where: Popping up in Southbank
Tickets: FREE
The BoQ Festival Garden will be your wonderous world of food, wine, entertainment and discovery, proudly sponsored by Bank of Queensland. Popping up in South Bank for 20 days and nights in September, the new hub offers play, as well as mystery, in the twists and turns of South Bank. There are nightly shows and events including First Nations Fashion, Auntie’s Fiafia Night, plus roam between two pop-up bars, see roving performers and spectacular performances at South Bank Piazza as it transforms into a live music venue. See the likes of Kate Miller-Heidke, Skyfall, Hughman, and Tyrone Noonan chanelling Marvin Gaye. This will be your mysterious and magical interactive adventure day and night. Find more information on this event here.
When: Saturday 4 - Saturday 11 September
Where: Brisbane Powerhouse
Tickets: $45 + booking fee
Featuring killer physical feats, daring aerials and antics, this is a sexy-as-hell, sweaty, and unapologetic reclamation of space by performance renegades, Polytoxic, for an explosion of cabaret, theatre and social activisim. Find more information on this event here.
When: Thursday 16 - Saturday 25 September
Where: Brisbane Powerhouse
Tickets: $45 + booking fee
One part dog show. Two parts TED Talk. Three parts family photo album. From guide dogs to show dogs, sniffer dogs to your dog, Let’s Be Friends Furever is a community crowd-sourced homage to our four-legged best friends, with real dogs on stage! Find more information on this event here.
When: Saturday 25 September from 4pm
Where: Brisbane River & Surrounds
Tickets: FREE
All eyes turn to the Brisbane skies when Sunsuper Riverfire makes a bold return on Saturday 25 September to add the final big bang sparkle to Brisbane Festival 2021. Ahead of the pyrotechnics the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force will demonstrate their flying prowess, with Army helicopter displays and the gravity-defying aerobatics of the Roulettes. Find more information on this event here.