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Brisbane’s winter arts season heats up with bold new exhibitions and live performances
From immersive gallery shows to intimate theatre, here’s what’s on in the city this July.
How we reported this
Brisbane’s arts calendar is packed this July, with major galleries, independent theatre companies and live-music venues rolling out new programs that aim to draw audiences indoors during the cooler months. The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) opened a major survey of contemporary Indigenous photography on July 4, featuring works by more than 40 artists from across the country. The show, which runs until October 11, occupies both gallery wings and includes pieces never publicly displayed before.
A city leaning into its cultural identity
The timing matters. Brisbane has spent much of the past decade repositioning itself as a cultural destination, not just a transit hub to the Gold Coast. The $1.1-billion Queen’s Wharf precinct, now fully open, has drawn new foot traffic to the city centre, and smaller venues in Fortitude Valley and West End are reporting stronger mid-week attendance than pre-pandemic averages. The local arts scene is no longer playing catch-up to Sydney or Melbourne; it is carving its own lane with distinct programming that leans into subtropical aesthetics and First Nations storytelling.
The Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley, for instance, just launched a group show titled Soft Edges, which runs until September 12. The exhibition features six Queensland-based artists working across textiles, ceramics and video. Entry is free, and the gallery reports that opening-night attendance topped 800 people, a strong sign that audiences are hungry for local work. Across the river, the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm kicks off its winter theatre season on July 18 with a reimagined production of The Lighthouse, a one-act chamber opera set in a 19th-century outpost. The show runs eight performances only. Tickets start at $45.
Where to go and what to book now
Live music continues to anchor the city’s nightlife. The Triffid in Bowen Hills has a stacked July calendar, including a sold-out set from local psych-rock band Sunscreen on July 19 and a double bill with Melbourne folk singer Maple Glider on July 25. General-admission tickets for the latter are $38.50. Over at the Tivoli in Fortitude Valley, the venue’s winter residency series pairs local support acts with national headliners every Saturday night this month. The July 18 bill features Brisbane songwriter Jake Meadows opening for Sydney pop artist Greta Stanley.
For families, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is running its school-holiday program through July 20, with interactive workshops in dance, puppetry and digital animation. Most sessions cost $20 per child, and several have already sold out, according to the box office. On the South Bank cultural forecourt, weekend pop-up markets continue each Saturday and Sunday, offering locally made ceramics, prints and jewellery from more than 60 stallholders. Entry is free.
Bookings are recommended across most venues. The Powerhouse and QAGOMA both sell timed-entry tickets online. For independent theatre and smaller gigs, fans should check venue social-media pages, as several shows have added extra dates due to demand. Brisbane’s winter arts scene may not carry the glossy prestige of the southern capitals, but it offers something arguably more valuable: a sense that the culture here is being made, not just imported.