- From 30 August to 21 September, Brisbane Festival 2024 will celebrate big, bold stories showcased by exceptional artists and arts organisations from Queensland and around the world.
- More than 1000 unforgettable performances and experiences including 319 free events will generate 13 world premieres, four Australian premieres and seven Queensland premieres.
- Brisbane Festival 2024 will feature more than 1200 Queensland performers, including 183 First Nations artists and 65 Queensland-based arts companies collaborating with national and international talent.
Today the Brisbane Festival launched its 2024 program, starting the countdown to Spring when the River City takes centre stage to share an incredible array of uniquely Queensland stories, stunning performances and impactful cultural experiences.
The festival showstopper, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show, promises to amaze audiences with a visually spectacular musical performance celebrating 50 years of pop culture and featuring an iconic couture piece by local First Nations designer Grace Lillian Lee.
Grace’s woven artistry will also be on show in the world premiere of The Dream Weaver: Guardians of Grace, which merges culture, heritage and innovation with First Nations art and design.
Meeanjin Songlinez kicks off the festival’s compelling First Nations events, which include epic rock and roll theatre show Big Name, No Blankets, Torres Strait Islands musical Straight from the Strait, rite of passage play Dear Brother, Alethea Beetson’s Meet Your Maker and the luminous drone display Skylore – The Rainbow Serpent.
The highly anticipated page-to-stage adaptation of Trent Dalton’s Love Stories will premiere during the festival along with Dancenorth Australia’s heroic new work Lighting the Dark created by and starring Chris Dyke, a dancer living with Down Syndrome.
The immensely popular Art Boat returns along with Lightscape and the much-loved, free, signature event Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust, which kicks off the festival on Saturday 31 August.
The Miles Government proudly supports Brisbane Festival as a leading cultural event that showcases our talented home-grown arts sector, delivers creative employment opportunities and highlights the importance of the arts in strengthening communities.
The Festival’s Community Engagement program is supported with a $200,000 commitment from the Department of Premier and Cabinet towards Meeanjin Songlinez, Moorooka Block Party, Us and All of This, Pasifika Made and Community Champions, while the Legacy Project: Fashion Collab, Community Champions and the Artist in Residence workshops at Neighbourhood Centres are supported with $200,000 from the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts.
In addition, $200,000 investment through Arts Queensland is supporting Brisbane Festival’s 2024 Capacity Building program providing paid placements for early career practitioners, including a commitment to opportunities for First Nations arts practitioners and for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent practitioners.
As stated by the Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch:
“I congratulate Artistic Director Louise Bezzina and the entire Brisbane Festival team, for creating an exciting and inclusive 2024 festival program designed to engage audiences, grow our arts sector and generate a pipeline of creative jobs,” Minister Enoch said.
“This spring, Brisbane Festival will delight audiences with 23 days of unforgettable stories and arts and cultural experiences told by our incredible local artists and companies and creative talent from across the country and overseas.
“From sharing Brisbane’s love stories, to delivering a significant platform for First Nations fashion and design alongside an iconic international fashion figure, to connecting audiences with diverse and inspirational creative activations that celebrate cultures and community, Brisbane Festival 2024 reinforces the state’s reputation as a leading cultural tourism destination.
“Featuring more than 1200 Queensland artists and 65 local arts companies, the festival provides employment and skills growth, further boosted by the Miles Government’s support for paid industry placement opportunities through Brisbane Festival’s 2024 Capacity Building program,” Ms Enoch said.
As stated by the Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Healy:
“The Brisbane Festival 2024 is a spectacular showcase of Queensland’s rich arts and cultural heritage. It not only highlights our exceptional homegrown talent but also attracts visitors from around the world, boosting tourism and bringing a vibrant cultural exchange.
“This year’s program, with more than 1000 events including 319 which are free, is proof of the limitless creativity and dedication of our arts community. It’s great to see such a diverse range of performances and activities that appeal to all audiences, creating memorable experiences for all.
“The Miles Government is proud to support the Brisbane Festival, which not only generates significant employment opportunities within the arts sector but also reinforces our state’s reputation as a cultural destination. Events such as this play a crucial role in enhancing our cultural landscape and supporting our local economy.
“I encourage everyone to get out and experience the Brisbane Festival 2024 and take in the incredible array of uniquely Queensland stories. This festival is a celebration of our identity, creativity, and community spirit, and promises to be unforgettable.”
As stated by Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina:
“Brisbane Festival believes in the transformative power of the arts to unite, inspire and empower and my fifth festival program is a creative celebration of this power on both a global and a local scale,” Ms Bezzina said.
“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.
“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.
“I am proud to once again support and commission new Australian works that provide a platform for artists and creatives to tell our stories: stories of love and belonging, of inclusion and diversity; of community and Country; of our rich history and our exciting future.
“I look forward to welcoming the world to Brisbane this September and I enthusiastically invite everyone in this wonderful city to join me.”
Explainer/fast fact and or further information:
- Brisbane Festival returns from 30 August – 21 September 2024. For the full program and to subscribe for updates and purchase tickets, visit brisbanefestival.com.au
- Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council.
- Brisbane Festival by numbers:
1000+ performances
319 free performances
13 world premieres
4 Australian premieres
7 Queensland premieres
1200+ Queensland-based artists and arts workers
65+ arts organisations
183 First Nations artists
- Brisbane Festival’s Capacity Building Program placement opportunities are now available, with EOIs open until Monday 10 June 2024.