Brisbane’s climate is consistently warm, making it the ideal location for events all year round, and it certainly has a lot on offer, ranging from music festivals to sporting events to art exhibitions.
Brisbane is growing rapidly, and is now Australia’s third largest city. Conveniently, the Central Business District only takes 20 minutes to walk across, ideal for visiting many different places. There is a huge array of events and festivals to accommodate for the artistic, metropolitan residents, who are said to be the friendliest in Australia. So, what’s stopping you from visiting one of the most vibrant cities in the country?
British & Irish Lions Australian Tour – June 8 & 22, 2013
A date in every rugby fan’s calendar is the British & Irish Lions Australian tour. The Lions play the Queensland Reds and the Qantas Wallabies at the famous Suncorp stadium on the 8 June 2013 and 22 June 2013 respectively. Certain to be a historic series, the passionate “Sea of Red” fans will be accompanying the Lions on their June and July tour. The atmosphere will be incredible as it’s been 12 years since the Lions last visited Australia. Without a doubt this will be an unforgettable event.
Contemporary Art from Black Australia – June 1 – October 6, 2013
Take a step further into Australia’s fascinating culture by visiting the Gallery of Modern Art’s (GOMA) exhibition titled “My Country, I still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia”. The exhibition features more than 300 pieces by indigenous artists from every state and territory. The paintings and sculptures explore the history of Australia, and the artist’s responses to political and social situations in the country. It gets better: It’s free.
Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) – August 8-17, 2013
Experience the best of the city and the countryside combined with a visit to the expansive Royal Queensland Show (EKKA), located at the Brisbane Showgrounds, in the heart of the city. Across the 10 day event, there are competitions ranging from animal categories to arts categories such as music and dance A range of mouth-watering local culinary delights are available to whet your appetite, and are guaranteed to bring you the crème de la crème of what Brisbane has to offer.
Brisbane Festival – September 7-28, 2013
The largest event in the calendar is the Brisbane Festival. The events programme spans a huge range of arts genres, including circus, theatre, opera, dance and music. This year’s headline act – “Freeze Frame” – is written by Debbie Allen, and performed by her dance school. It has been described as a “fusion of dance, music and theatre… bringing the passion and pain of Los Angeles’ toughest streets to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.”
The festival closes with the spectacular “Sunsuper Riverfire” fireworks display, attended by hundreds of thousands of people, on Saturday 28 September. It’s all about getting there early, and finding a good spot. Why not make a day of it?
Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) – November 13-24, 2013
Australia is not short of big names in the film industry, with stars including Heath Ledger, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman, and where better to experience the country’s talent than first hand at the Brisbane International Film Festival? A selection of over 130 international films are displayed at various locations across the city, including documentaries, animation, children’s films, experimental films and world cinema, undoubtedly with something for everyone. Films in previous years have also been displayed through the magical form of open air cinema, an opportunity not to be missed.
Brisbane International – December 29 – January 5, 2013-4
The Brisbane International is ideal for those wishing for a slightly different sporting event. The Queensland Tennis Centre ‘Tennis Central’ has outdoor courts so you can soak up the sun whilst watching the match, the centre also features live music where you can meet the tennis stars and make use of the wine bar. In the past, big names such as Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov have battled it out in the men’s finals, and Serena Williams and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the women’s finals. The event is the perfect warm up for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open.
Words by Tom Nicholson