Brisbane Festival will return to once again take over the city with an expansive programme of art, culture and community in 2025.
The programme invites audiences to experience the city anew, from towering whale bones on the river, to a world premiere dance trilogy, and bridges reimagined as works of art.
The 2025 Brisbane Festival will bring together 2,260 artists across 106 productions and 1,069 performances. . . Including 21 world premieres, More than 39 per cent of the offering will be free to the public.
It’s the sixth and final festival curated by Artistic Director Louise Bezzina, who has redefined what a contemporary arts festival can be. . . With international collaborations, First Nations and culturally diverse voices, community participation, and homegrown talents.
“This year’s programme is a love letter to Brisbane — bold, joyful, and created with and for the city,” Louise Bezzina says. “My final festival is a celebration of everything Brisbane Festival has become: a world-class event with a fiercely local heart. From world premieres to deeply resonant community works, this year’s programme is ambitious in scale and grounded in storytelling, deeply connected to the people and places that make this city so special. As the city comes alive this September, I welcome everyone to take their place in the story.”
Walk This Way by globally renowned art and design visionaries Craig & Karl will transform three of the city’s most prominent pedestrian bridges – the Neville Bonner Bridge, the Goodwill Bridge, and the Kangaroo Point Bridge – into vibrant, large-scale artistic interventions.
'Baleen Moondjan' - Image © Roy Van Der Vegt
Plus, in an Australian exclusive, internationally renowned choreographer Benjamin Millepied and L.A. Dance Project bring together a triptych of dance works, in a world premiere.
Founder of Bangarra Dance Theatre, Stephen Page, presents a breathtaking contemporary ceremony in ‘Baleen Moondjan’, performed on a floating barge beneath the night sky. It’s a powerful expression of culture, memory and place.
Also lighting up the city after dark is of course the iconic Riverfire, featuring fireworks launched from bridges, barges and rooftops. Skylore also returns, with 400 drones telling a traditional story from Brisbane’s First Nations people. Afterglow invites audiences on a mesmerising journey, through a dreamscape of fire sculptures, candlelit artworks, and live performances at the City Botanic Gardens.
‘Preparing Ground’, co-directed by leading First Nations Queensland choreographers Marilyn Miller, Jasmin Sheppard and Katina Olsen, is a powerful new dance work, moving with the weight of history and the fire of resistance.
Twelfth Night Theatre is reawakened, presenting ‘Gatsby At The Green Light’, a night of cabaret, variety and music.
Familiar faces return to the festival including Leah Shelton with ‘BATSH.T’, and Kate Miller-Heidke joining Camerata for ‘Your Eternal Memories’.
'Gatsby At The Green Light' - Image © Daniel Boud
Music lovers won’t miss out – Tivoli In The Round will present an eclectic, genre-blurring line-up bringing audiences closer to the music than ever before, with a programme including the likes of Phantastic Ferniture, Odd Mob, C.W. Stoneking, Wolters, Franck, and Juicy Romance. Then, Night At The Parkland brings even more musos to the heart of the city, like ICEHOUSE, Lime Cordiale, Jack River, Xavier Rudd, Amy Shark, Grinspoon, Cut Copy, KLP, and James Johnston.
Brisbane Serenades will return in full flourish, offering a vibrant series of free outdoor concerts. This year’s programme includes Pasifika Made at Brisbane Powerhouse, Manly Serenades at George Clayton, Moorooka Block Party at Peggs Park, and St Lucia Serenades at the University Of Queensland.
“Brisbane Festival is more than an arts event — it’s a celebration of our identity as Australia’s lifestyle capital,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says. “It shines a spotlight on our creativity, diversity, and world-class local talent, bringing them to centre stage for all to enjoy.”
“This year’s programme will transform every corner of our city with unforgettable experiences — from large-scale international collaborations to vibrant, community-driven works.
“I encourage everyone to get involved, explore the city in new ways and be part of this extraordinary celebration that puts Brisbane’s culture, colour and community front and centre.”
Check out the full programme.
Brisbane Festival 2025 is on from 5-27 September.
