Experience a rich tapestry of culture, celebration, and community throughout the city as the Brisbane Festival 2024 returns from 30 August to 21 September.

The fifth program from artistic director Louise Bezzina invites guests to experience the pinnacle of artistry with world premieres, Australian exclusives, Queensland commissions, and Brisbane spotlights across 23 days. Tt brings 1000+ performances staged in the city’s arts venues, unique landmarks, and close-knit communities.

Visitors can see Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show, a collision of fashion, music, pop culture, cabaret and art that will have its exclusive Australian premiere in South Bank Piazza (30 August – 15 September).

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show

Queensland Indigenous artist, Grace Lillian Lee, adds local flair to the revue-style party. She is the creative force behind 2021’s debut First Nations Fashion: Walking in Two Worlds, will spearhead another world premiere, her debut solo exhibition in 2024, The Dream Weaver: Guardians of Grace (30 August – 21 September).

Audiences can watch the Australian-first production, Volcano (30 August – 15 September), as it brings a never-before-seen hybrid production that plays out over four, 45-minute episodes and combines theatre and dance with a television sci-fi thriller.

Volcano

The festival also features the world premiere of Straight from the Strait (28-31 August), an opera co-produced with Opera Queensland and QPAC’s Playhouse with the true story of Torres Strait Islander workers laying and 7km of railway tracks in a single day in 1968.

Straight from the Strait

Dancenorth Australia stages the global debut of its new work, Lighting the Dark (12 – 14 September), developed in collaboration with Chris Dyke, a dancer and emerging choreographer with Down Syndrome.

Also making its global premiere are Trent Dalton’s Love Stories (10 – 29 September) at QPAC’s Playhouse and Fancy Long Legs (12 – 22 September) at La Boite Theatre.

Queensland premieres include:

• Eucalyptus (4-5 September), a new opera based on Murray Bail’s Miles Franklin Award-winning novel, Eucalyptus.
• Gurr Era Op (11-14 September), a celebration of Torres Strait Islander culture and a climate call-to-action.
• Private View (18-21 September), Restless Dance Theatre’s raw and revolutionary exploration of sexuality and disability.
• Kitchen Studio (30 August-26 October)
• Dear Brother (7-28 September)

A first of 14 First Nations-led productions, Big Name, No Blankets (20-21 September), continues Brisbane’s proud history of inviting Indigenous storytellers and artists.

Big Name, No Blankets

On opening weekend, Meeanjin Songlinez (1 September) invites everyone to celebrate and honour local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities and the extraordinary talent of Queensland’s First Nations artists.

Following the success of 2023’s Nieergoo: Spirit of the Whale, Brisbane Festival partners with Nova Sky Stories and Tribal Experiences to develop a dazzling drone show over the city’s iconic skyline, with Skylore – The Rainbow Serpent.

Skylore – The Rainbow Serpent

All eyes are on the sky on Saturday 31 August when Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust returns to light up Brisbane in the city’s biggest and most-loved fireworks spectacular.

Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust

Also returning to light up the city is Lightscape (31 August-12 October) with a completely reimagined illuminated trail of neon lights, technicolour installations, and choreographed soundscapes through Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens.

Lightscape

The travelling arts venue sets sail once again from South Bank on a luxe new vessel with a stellar program of guest artists and performers with The Art Boat (30 August -21 September).

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show

Brisbane Serenades returns with a program of free mini-festivals and exquisitely curated musical experiences across Brisbane suburbs including Moorooka Block Party (7 September), Portside Serenades at Northshore, Brisbane (15 September), St Lucia Serenades (14 September) Pasifika Made at Kuraby (21 September), and Voices of Victoria Park (8 September).

Portside Serenades

“I am delighted this year to bring leading international artists as well as creatively significant, profoundly inspiring and wholly entertaining works from across the world to our city,” artistic director Bezzina, said.

“Brisbane Festival remains a celebration by and for Brisbane so when we bring these global works to our city, we create opportunities to spotlight the extraordinary talents of our local artists on the world stage.”