The Queensland Music Festival has shared the gift of music with more than one million Queenslanders over the past two decades, reflecting the stories, talents and diversity of our magnificent state. The biennial event will return for three festive weeks this winter, delivering a broad range of musical performances from Friday July 5 through to Sunday July 28. Events will range from secret hotel room gigs by Clea, Ben Ely (Regurgitator), Asha Jefferies, Emily Wurramara, Jack Carty, Sahara Beck and more as part of the Immersion series, to Archie Roach performing his seminal album Let Love Rule alongside a string quartet on The Tivoli stage, and Sigrid Thornton with her mother and feminist activist Merle Thornton in conversation together at Brisbane Powerhouse for Frank & Fearless.
Head on a musical treasure hunt around the city to find 20 brilliantly painted street pianos as part of Luke Jerram’s interactive display, Play Me, I’m Yours or join a state-wide choir of thousands who will sing the anthem Help Is On Its Way to shine a spotlight on men’s mental health. Conductor Dr Jonathon Welch AM and two-time ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Shorrock will lead the mass choir at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre while the event will be live-streamed for anyone who wishes to host a community concert or simply sing along at home. Six winners from a state-wide search to find Queensland’s best young singer-songwriters (12–18 years) will perform on the Green Jam stage in South Bank, while a magical fairytale set in the Aussie bush will see the Queensland Ballet and Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra delighting kids of all ages in three regional areas before a season at QPAC.
The Twilight In The Red Box concert series curated by Patrick Murphy will feature different musicians from UQ’s classical music program performing each week in the State Library of Queensland as the sun sets over the Brisbane River, while Jessie Lloyd’s profoundly moving Mission Songs Project will reveal what life was like for Indigenous Australians on Christian Missions and state-run settlements through the power of song. Elsewhere in Queensland, prominent festival events include The Mount Isa Blast celebrating the city’s beauty and originality in Kalkadoon Arena, a full day of live opera performances, market stalls and festivity at Opera at Jimbour in Queensland’s Western Downs, and Baker Boy, Thandi Phoenix and Yothu Yindi performing at Yarrabah Festival. Head online to check out the full festival program and browse ticket and venue information.
