Brisbane will once again transform into a living, breathing stage this September as the 2025 Brisbane Festival delivers its most ambitious and inclusive program to date. Running from 5–27 September, this year’s festival marks the final curation by visionary Artistic Director Louise Bezzina, and she departs with a celebration that pulses with world premieres, international collaborations, deeply personal storytelling, and a vibrant spirit of community.
Spanning 23 days, the festival features 106 productions, 1,069 performances, and showcases 2,260 artists — with over 43% of the program free to the public. From riverside performances to immersive installations and heartfelt neighbourhood events, Brisbane Festival 2025 invites everyone to take part in an extraordinary citywide experience.
Global Artists Arrive in Brisbane
From North America to Europe, and across Asia and the Pacific, performers are flying into Brisbane Airport to take part in the festival’s largest program yet. The 2025 lineup includes world-class dance, cutting-edge music, large-scale public art, and intimate culinary theatre — all set against the city’s streets, parks, and iconic venues.
Returning home are Craig & Karl, the Brisbane-born duo now known worldwide for their bold, pop-art visuals. Their project Walk This Way will transform the Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges into monumental public art, while Double Vision at Griffith University Art Museum offers a personal look at their global journey.
South Asian Stories Take Centre Stage
Indo Warehouse: Kahani & Kunal Merchant
Leading a new era in electronic music, Kahani and Kunal Merchant bring their genre-defining Indo House sound to Brisbane Festival. As co-founders of Indo Warehouse, the New York-based duo are revolutionising dance floors with a sound that fuses South Asian percussion, vocals, and melodies with deep house and global club aesthetics.
Their meteoric rise has seen them headline major venues and festivals worldwide, bridging tradition and modernity in thrilling back-to-back sets. Their Brisbane debut promises an unforgettable blend of cultural rhythm, electronic innovation, and high-energy performance.
Back to Bilo
From acclaimed Queensland theatre company Belloo Creative comes Back to Bilo, a poignant new play based on the true story of Sri Lankan refugees Priya and Nades Nadesalingam and their daughters. After building a peaceful life in regional Queensland, the family was removed in a dawn raid — sparking a national campaign led by the women of Biloela that captured hearts across Australia.
This powerful stage work is a testament to resilience, justice, and the strength of community. Told with emotional depth and courage, Back to Bilo is one of this year’s most affecting and relevant Australian stories.
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen
In a beautifully intimate performance, theatre-maker Joshua Hinton invites audiences into a personal culinary ritual. As he prepares his grandmother’s chicken curry live on stage, he shares stories of family, migration, and memory. A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen is a tender, multi-sensory experience that blends aroma, music and storytelling — an offering of love through food.
Moorooka Feast
For an even more immersive experience, the festival invites food lovers to Moorooka Feast — a warm, inclusive celebration of South Asian cuisine and community.
Bring your appetite, bring a friend, and leave with a full heart (and a full belly).
Savour a mouth-watering Indian buffet of aromatic curries, savoury samosas, fluffy basmati rice, freshly baked naan and more — all crafted with love by the team at The Sultan’s Kitchen. This is more than a meal; it’s a celebration of flavour, hospitality, and the joy of gathering around a shared table.
A City Alive with Performance and Participation
Large-scale installations and deeply moving works define the festival’s scope:
· Baleen Moondjan, by celebrated First Nations artist Stephen Page, will take place on a floating barge along the Brisbane River, featuring towering whale bone sculptures and ceremonial storytelling.
· Gems, a world premiere dance trilogy, brings together international talents including Benjamin Millepied, Barbara Kruger, and Philip Glass.
· Skylore, a drone-powered spectacle, lights up the night sky with First Nations stories.
Community, Dance, and Belonging
Inclusivity pulses through this year’s program. Bring A Plate Dance Company, a leader in inclusive movement, continues to challenge perceptions of who can dance and where. Since 2017, they have been creating safe, joyful spaces that celebrate all bodies, all experiences, and all expressions of dance.
Likewise, Common People Dance Eisteddfod returns, welcoming Brisbanites into a wildly fun, sequin-studded suburban dance battle that radiates joy and self-expression. Meanwhile, 100 Guitars unites musicians from all skill levels in a powerful mass performance that celebrates connection through sound.
Music Beneath the Stars
The Night at the Parkland concert series brings major acts to Roma Street Parkland, including:
· ICEHOUSE
· Amy Shark
· Xavier Rudd
· Lime Cordiale with Jack River
· Grinspoon
· Cut Copy with KLP
· And Indo Warehouse, bringing global rhythm to the local stage
The Brisbane Serenades series continues to bring neighbourhoods together with events like Pasifika Made, Manly Serenades, Moorooka Block Party, and St Lucia Serenades — each reflecting the unique cultural identity of its community.
A Legacy of Leadership
“My final festival is a celebration of everything Brisbane Festival has become: a world-class event with a fiercely local heart,” said Louise Bezzina.
“Brisbane Festival is more than an arts event — it’s a celebration of our identity as Australia’s lifestyle capital,” said Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.
Minister for Arts John-Paul Langbroek noted the program’s focus on cultural storytelling, accessibility and global connection, affirming the Festival’s growing significance ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Event Details
Dates: 5 – 27 September 2025
Program: 106 productions, 1,069 performances, 21 world premieres
Tickets and program info: brisbanefestival.com.au
Brisbane Festival 2025 is more than a cultural calendar highlight — it’s a statement of identity, inclusion, and imagination. Whether you’re dancing in the street, watching a story unfold on stage, or sharing a meal with neighbours, this year’s festival invites you to be part of something unforgettable.
