This was published 11 months ago
10 major cultural events to see in Brisbane in 2024
By Nick Dent
We’ve looked into the cultural crystal ball to find stage, gallery and museum highlights of 2024.
Spanning musicals, ballet, visual art, fashion and comedy, these are some of the most intriguing things happening in Brisbane this year. They will be the talk of the town, so book early.
Oh, and Brisbane’s music scene is so vibrant that it could fill a top 10 on its own – so don’t @ us, we’ll cover music off in another list.
Shubshri Kandiah and Brendan Xavier in Beauty and the Beast.Credit: Daniel Boud
1. Beauty and the Beast
February 15-April 14, Lyric Theatre, QPAC
The Disney musical will play in Brisbane for the first time ever in 2024.
Based on the 1991 animated film, the original stage production of Beauty and the Beast played for more than 13 years on Broadway, and its songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice include Belle, Gaston, Human Again and Be Our Guest.
Brisbane’s Shubshri Kandiah will star as Belle, with Brendan Xavier as the Beast and Rohan Browne as Lumiere. The show features spectacular new sets, costume designs and state-of-the-art technology.
Bluey and Bingo will have a new interactive home at Hamilton Northshore from August 2024.Credit: Wynnum Fringe
2. Bluey’s World
From August, Northshore
What parent visiting Sydney or Melbourne from overseas can now leave Brisbane off the itinerary? This new visitor attraction celebrating the most highly streamed TV show in the US could be a game changer for Brisbane tourism.
Fans will have the chance to step inside the Heeler home, from Bluey and Bingo’s bedroom to the living room and kitchen and the shady branches of the poinciana tree in the backyard. Learn how the show is made and take part in interactive play, with a touch of theatre. Wackadoo!
3. Brisbane Transport Museum
From February 3
Queensland’s first and only dedicated bus museum opens to the public in February. The Brisbane Transport Museum, at 600 Mains Road, Nathan, will be home to the largest display of heritage buses and coaches in Queensland with a fleet of vehicles spanning models from 1938 to 1996.
You can hail such ancient omnibuses as the blue 1969 Leyland Panther or an orange 1938 Bedford WTB and wonder how commuters survived in those days before aircon. The museum will be open to the public on the first Saturday of the month and entry is $10-$20.
4. Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon
October 4-19, Playhouse, QPAC
Prior to his departure, Li Cunxin programmed this for the Queensland Ballet – a revival of a ballet that had its world premiere in Hong Kong in 2023.
The life of Coco Chanel has inspired books and movies, and now her rags-to-riches story and iconic Little Black Dress will form the basis of a dance piece charting Chanel’s rise in Jazz Age Paris.
It’s been choreographed by Amsterdam-based Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, who has also created ballets based on the life of Frida Kahlo.
Works by fashion designer Iris van Herpen such as the Hydrozoa dress from the Sensory Seas collection (2020) will feature in the exhibition at GOMA.Credit: © David Uzochukwu
5. Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses
June 29-October 7, Gallery of Modern Art
QAGOMA has a stellar year planned: there’s a retrospective of Judy Watson, the 11th Asia-Pacific Triennial, and a cinematheque series of the films of Powell & Pressburger planned for starters.
Fashion fans will be thrilled, however, at the upcoming exhibition of the work of Dutch avant-garde fashion designer Iris van Herpen. About 100 garments will be displayed in conversation with contemporary artworks, natural history specimens and cultural artefacts that have informed her work.
Garments created for the likes of Beyoncé, Bjork, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Tilda Swinton will all be on display in a show that is exclusive to Brisbane.
Jerry Seinfeld performing in New York.Credit: AP
6. Jerry Seinfeld
June 19, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
The sitcom Seinfeld ended 25 years ago but the “show about nothing” remains a cultural touchstone and much-watched on streaming services.
The misadventures of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer explored the mores of late 20th-century urban life in the same forensic detail that Seinfeld himself brings to his stand-up routines.
Jerry last toured Australia in 2017 – fans won’t want to miss their dose of yada, yada, yada.
7. Round the Twist: The Musical
November 12-December 1, Playhouse, QPAC
In an old lighthouse, single dad Tony Twist and his kids Pete, Linda and Bronson are about to embark on a magical adventure, unravel a 100-year-old mystery and protect their home from the greedy Gribble family.
Based on the 1990s TV show that warped the minds of a generation and continues to find new fans, Round the Twist: The Musical will be the climax of the Queensland Theatre’s 2024 season. It’s directed by Simon Phillips and written and composed by Brisbane talent Paul Hodge, whose musical comedy Clinton played off-Broadway.
Tunick said his work was for “everyone navigating their way through the difficult challenges of our current world”.Credit: Documentary photography of Spencer Tunick installation courtesy of Brisbane Powerhouse
8. Spencer Tunick: Tide
October 27, Story Bridge
New York photographer Spencer Tunick has announced that he will return to Brisbane in October 2024 for a monumental nude art installation on the bridge involving around 2500 local volunteers.
The bridge will be closed for this mammoth project which will feature live nude figures in celebration of diversity, equity, inclusion and Brisbane’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. The artwork is part of the inaugural Melt Open festival.
Anyone interested in taking part in the Story Bridge project can register their interest at the Powerhouse website.
9. Straight from the Strait
August 29-31, Playhouse, QPAC
Opera Queensland has commissioned a Torres Strait Island musical based on the story of the workers who broke a world record while constructing the Mount Newman Railway in WA in 1968.
Composed and written by Rubina Kimiia and Norah Bagiri, and developed in consultation with Torres Strait Islander artists, elders and communities, the production will have its world premiere during the Brisbane Festival 2024.
10. World Science Festival 2024
March 15-24
Highlights of the next World Science Festival have been announced.
Physicist and bestselling author Brian Greene will present Beyond the Stars – a journey through key moments in the development of the cosmos, from the formation of stars and black holes to the emergence of life.
Podcasting greats Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb will present An Afternoon of Science, while Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is premiering a movie-length, full-dome experience exploring Australia’s past 140,000 years.
Then there’s Night of the Nerds, World Science Festival Brisbane’s variety game show hosted by Mark Humphries, with The Chaser’s Craig Reucassel, astrophysicist Kirsten Banks and a live band.