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World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books

World premieres, sensory experiences and food-filled wonderlands – Brisbane Festival’s 2023 program is one for the books

September is, hands down, the best month to be a Brisbane local. Why? Well, for 23 out of September's 30 days, the city comes alive for Brisbane Festival – an annual celebration of arts, culture, and live performance. This year is going to be no different. From September 1–23, Brisbane's arts venues, landmarks and suburban streets will play host to more than 1000 events, from large-scale theatre works and colour-soaked light trails to never-before-seen massed drone performances and a string of mini-concerts. The Brisbane Festival program drops today – read on to find out what's in store for 2023 ...


It’s hard to encapsulate the full depth of the 2023 Brisbane Festival program in a tight summary, such is the sheer magnitude of this year’s schedule. That said, we’ll do our best! This year’s program, the fourth curated by Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina, is one filled with thought-provoking, emotion-fuelled, sense-enlivening and joy-filled events. Anchored by the three Cs – connection, community and complexity – this year’s program brings together one of the largest assortment of artists, arts workers and art organisations in the festival’s history, with more than 1000 performances encompassing art, dance, theatre, installation and music on the cards. The 2023 program is headlined by a number of world-premiere performances, starting with Salamander – a large-scale, dance theatre work created by internationally renowned choreographer and director Maxine Doyle, artist and designer Es Devlin, composer and sound designer Rachael Dease, and Queensland-based artistic company Australasian Dance CollectiveSalamander will turn a Northshore warehouse into a dream-like labyrinth, inhabited by desperate characters trying to make their way through the shifting, flooded and futuristic landscape. Also making its world premiere is Eternity, a spellbinding performance from Brisbane-based Circa being staged at St John’s Anglican Cathedral. Brisbane Festival exclusive, The Making of Pinocchio, will make its Australian debut at Brisbane Powerhouse – this heartwarming and personal tale of love and gender transition told through the story of Pinocchio has earned acclaim at countless international festivals and is a must-see for fans of compelling and emotionally rich theatre. The creative brains behind Blanc de Blanc and Limbo will be hosting the soiree of the century with The Partyan exclusive no-rules event enjoying its Queensland premiere at the South Bank Piazza. Expect circus acts, killer music and extravagant costumes – it’s a party you’ve always wanted to be invited to!

Speaking of theatre, Brisbane Festival’s jaw-dropping array of theatre shows also includes a smorgasbord of First Nations-led work, with more than 170 First Nations artists contributing in 2023. Previously announced premieres of BANANALANDTae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! and Cut Chilli will be joined by the Australian debut of Kuramanunya by Thomas E.S. Kelly and Karul Projects, as well as JARRAH – a festival-opening event that honours and pays respect to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. Be sure to also pencil in other Queensland premieres, including Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Yuldea at QPAC Playhouse, Hide the Dog at QPAC Cremorne Theatre, The Farm/Performing Lines’ Stunt Double and Australian Dance Theatre and Ilbijerri Theatre Company’s Tracker at Brisbane Powerhouse, and Jodee Mundy’s Personal at Metro Arts.

Brisbane Festival centrepiece, the Australian Retirement Trust Festival Garden, will transform the South Bank parklands into a hub of food, wine, entertainment and discovery. Chief amongst the garden’s must-see fixtures will be Hiromi Hotel: Yu Ka 夢花, a large-scale installation by visual artist Hiromi Tango, as well as a heaving schedule of circus, music, cabaret and dance performances filling the South Bank Piazza. If light, sound and colour are your thing, we suggest making tracks to the City Botanic Gardens for Lightscape, which will see a 2.5-km light trail snake its way under glowing tree canopies, past larger-than-life flowers and around neon roots. Nieergoo: Spirit of the Whale  a Brisbane-first massed drone performance – will illuminate the sky on September 1–2 as 400 choreographed drones tell a captivating First Nations narrative above the Brisbane River. As always, Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust will light up the night, helping kick off the festival on Saturday September 2.

Recapping all of these highlights has left us breathless, and we haven’t even touched on Brisbane Serenades (a program of free mini-concerts across Brisbane’s suburbs), All Together Now (a free, all-ages celebration of music and dance at Victoria Park), live gigs from The AvalanchesPaul KellyBusby MarouGretta Ray, The Kite String Tangle and Birds of Tokyo (who is teaming up with Queensland Symphony Orchestra for an electrifying concert). Good thing the full Brisbane Festival program is now live for you to investigate further – head to the festival’s website to start planning your itinerary. 

To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.



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