Brisbane Festival has unveiled a new format for this year's festival – with four distinctive weekends of wonder taking place this September.
The programme will be fully launched this July, but until then, audiences can begin to look forward to some of this year's biggest events, including the world premiere of Dead Puppet Society and Legs On The Wall's aerial epic 'Holding Achilles', and the stage adaptation of Shannon Molloy's 'Fourteen'.
Brisbane Festival flagship fireworks event Riverfire will kick things off officially, alongside popular smoking ceremony Jumoo.
“Riverfire is back,” Premier Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk says. “Brisbane loves Riverfire. It’s how we celebrate our river and our Queensland lifestyle.”
Last year's 'floataway hit' Art Boat returns too – setting sail from Northshore Brisbane and this year celebrating internationally acclaimed Australian visual artist Lindy Lee, in a festival-first collaboration. In week two, Art Boat will invite visitors to 'reach for the stars' during a midnight cruise, to celebrate the full moon.
Plus, there's a light and sound installation from internationally-renowned British artist Luke Jerram. Taking residence at West Village, the seven-metre floating orb transforms each week of the festival, presenting three of Luke's most popular works.
'Girl From The North Country' premieres in Queensland at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and Anita Heiss presents her 'love letter to Meeanjin' in 'Tiddas'.
'Disco Wonderland'
'Holding Achilles' from Dead Puppet Society and Legs On The Wall is a powerful blend of visual, physical and cinematic theatre, with a haunting original score performed live by award-winning Australian musician Montaigne. Queensland Theatre's reimagining of Shakespeare's 'Othello' promises an utterly distinctive theatre experience.
Things come to a colourful close when six artist collectives take to the sky to takeover six iconic Brisbane rooftops, for one night only. Artists including Michael Zavros, Briefs Factory International and musician/singer Patience Hodgson will curate their venue around a singular colour palette.
Brisbane Riverstage will play host to Paulini and Ben Mingay, with Queensland Symphony Orchestra for 'Disco Wonderland', a hypnotic, open-air concert marrying world-class musicianship with the world's most-loved '70s anthems.
“Brisbane sings in September and Brisbane Festival’s Festive Weekends programme has been lovingly curated with our visiting friends and family in mind to ensure that no matter which weekend you choose to visit, there are world-class artistic experiences to surprise and delight,” Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina says.
Brisbane Festival 2022 takes place from 2-24 September.
