Brisbane Events Listings

ACO Bach Brandenburg Concertos

Begin the festive season with the most celebrated music of the Baroque, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1, 2, 3 and 4. To perform this extroverted, colourful music, the Australian Chamber Orchestra assembles a remarkable ensemble of Baroque specialists from around the world. Richard Tognetti, winner of three ARIA Awards for Bach recordings, directs.

ACO Barefoot Fiddler

A free spirit who approaches music with an unquenchable sense of fun and discovery, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja is a joy to play with and watch. Patricia performs Bach and Mendelssohn violin concertos and a haunting work by Argentinian composer Ginastera, featuring solos for five principal musicians from the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Trust this enchanting violinist with your ears and she'll lead you a merry dance, bare feet and all.

ACO Brahms Four and Steven Isserlis

The Fourth is Brahms' final powerful symphonic statement. Here, Brahms takes flight, as he melds the soaring sounds of Romanticism to classical structure in a constantly evolving drama. Brahms premiered the symphony with a small orchestra of 48 musicians, which he declined to augment. The Australian Chamber Orchestra follows his lead and performs with wind instruments from Brahms' time. Steven Isserlis is one of the ACO's favourite collaborators - the epitome of the intelligent and passionate cellist. There could be no better soloist for Dvorák's ardent and much-loved concerto. Isserlis first played it as a child. "I used to think it was so joyous," he says. "As I've got older, the more tragic it seems."

ACO Richard Tognetti Presents ACO2

ACO2, the Australian Chamber Orchestra's precocious little sister, brings together Australia's finest young string players and ACO musicians, creating a combined ensemble with a fresh, energetic performance style. Featuring several of the greatest works for string orchestra, this program showcases ACO2's virtuosity and vivacity, in high-octane Baroque and neoclassical music directed by Richard Tognetti. "Magnetic" young German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott performs two Vivaldi Cello Concertos and Bloch's intensely melancholic From Jewish Life.

Artists Choice: Michael Zavros

Continuing the Artist's Choice series of exhibitions, Brisbane-based artist Michael Zavros was invited to work with the Gallery's Collection. Taking his own seductive, realist painting - Unicorn in the anticamera 2008 - as his point of departure, Zavros has cast contemporary beauty, decadence and ego in terms of possessions. Works in a variety of media have been reimagined as the domestic trappings of an opulent designer lifestyle, representing a distinctive and successful character. The Gallery gratefully acknowledges the Queensland Museum for the loan of several works in this exhibition.

Ballet Revolucion - Brisbane

After its acclaimed world premiere tour throughout Australia in 2011 and then subsequently sold out seasons in London, Paris, Zurich, Berlin, Frankfurt and Vienna in 2012, the international Cuban sensation Ballet Revolución returns in 2013 with an extensive tour of Australia. What happens when some of the World's most talented classical and contemporary dancers perform to the infectious rhythms of Latin-America and the No 1 hits from Usher, Shakira, Beyonce, Enrique Iglesias, J-Lo, Prince, Chris Brown to name just a few? The result is an explosive, intensive, sensual and impressively athletic performance, full of raw energy with a distinctly Cuban Flavour.

Bolshoi Ballet Le Corsaire -Brisbane

Inspired by Lord Byron's epic poem, The Corsair, which sold ten thousand copies on the first day of publication, this three-act ballet was first performed at the Bolshoi in 1856. It's a swashbuckling, romantic tale of pirates, slaves and oriental intrigue and is typical of the exotic and ambitious ballets created during the Tsarist era. It is also one of the most spectacular (and expensive!) ever mounted by the Bolshoi and its many famous set pieces provide the perfect showcase for the company's stars, the soloists and its magnificent corps de ballet. This extraordinary work, which the Bolshoi regards as one of the signature pieces of its exceptional repertoire, has never before been seen in Australia, another coup for Brisbane.

Bolshoi Ballet The Bright Stream

In 1935, Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the most celebrated composers of the twentieth century, wrote an original score for a ballet called The Bright Stream. Set on a farm it delighted audiences but did not find favour with the Soviet authorities, especially with Stalin who thought the subject of collective farming too serious for a light-hearted and joyful ballet. It was banned and not seen again until it was revived by the brilliant young choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, a former leading dancer and artistic director of the Bolshoi. An overnight smash hit in Moscow and subsequently in London, New York and other capitals to which it has toured, it's a comedic rural romp that incorporates dazzling Cossack and other ethnic dances as well as a side-splitting cross-dressing spoof of classical ballet, The Bright Stream will charm, delight and surprise Australian ballet lovers. And it too will be seen only in Brisbane.

Brisbane Fitness and Health Expo

Following the success of the first two Brisbane Fitness and Health Expos, the Expo will be returning again With over 10,000 eager consumers and industry professionals expected, the Expo is a fantastic way to browse the latest and greatest health & fitness solutions to complement busy lifestyles. The Expo hosts a variety of products and concepts in a helpful, entertaining environment. Features will include: Centre and Talk n Trends Stages' featuring exercise and exhibitor demonstrations, fashion parades, product demonstrations and seminars on fitness and health issues, Brisbane Fitness Model Search, Muscle Beach with Strongmen and Strength Athletes, Fitness Industry Advisory Centre (supported by Fitness Australia), Celebrity appearances and Boxing / MMA Ring.

BrisStyle Indie Market - City Hall

Getting up close and personal with BrisStyle's leading handmade artisans just became iconic. Nestled on the ground floor of the beautiful historic Brisbane City Hall, the new-look BrisStyle indie Markets are set to create a unique shopping experience for lovers of handmade. Soak up the gorgeous stalls of independent contemporary artisans, relax with a traditional cup of tea and cake at the iconic Shingle Inn and take in the historic surrounds of one of Brisbane's best-loved landmarks. With BrisStyle renowned for its support and development of Brisbane creatives, this is the perfect weekend activity for those in search of high-end, locally created handmade wares. Support local indie artisans and shop ethically at Brisbane's most iconic destination for everything handmade.

BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market

The BrisStyle indie Twilight Markets in the heart of King George Square offer a distinctive home-grown experience unique to Brisbane. These Friday night markets combine the laid-back attitude of south-east Queensland with the buzz of Brisbane's Central Business District to create a lantern lit celebration of local independent art, craft and design. So support the local Queensland creative community and shop ethically at Brisbane's hottest destination for everything handmade under the stars.

City2South

Brisbane Times City2South presented by Westpac - sister event to Sydney's iconic City2Surf and Melbourne's City2Sea - will take place for the very first time. The spectacular 14 kilometre course will cross the Brisbane River three times - featuring Victoria, Go Between and Eleanor Schonell Bridges. Starting at Parliament House in the Central Business District, heading up George Street, through South Bank, along Coronation Drive, up to the University of Queensland, and over Highgate "Heartbreak" Hill, finishing in South Brisbane. Elite runners, joggers, pram-pushers and walkers from around Australia will be joined by many dressed in novelty themed costumes with live music along the route. Brisbane Times City2South will raise much needed funds for over 372 charities.

Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art

The annual 'Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art' exhibition showcases the outstanding achievements of senior visual art students from schools throughout Queensland. The Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art are an initiative of the Department of Education, Training and Employment, and are supported by the Queensland Art Gallery and Museum and Gallery Services Queensland.

Death and Life: Rakuny Ga Walnga: Contemporary Arnhem Land Art

Belief in the circulatory nature of death and life is integral to Arnhem Land art. 'Death and Life: rakuny ga walnga', the Gallery's first Collection-based exhibition of contemporary art from Arnhem Land, will include bark paintings, hollow log memorial poles, sculptures and weavings that embody this idea. The arrangement of works will reflect artists' languages and clan affiliations, as well as their connections with particular tracts of country, ranging from east to west Arnhem Land.

Earth and Elsewhere: Contemporary Works from the Collection

'Earth and Elsewhere' brings together works from across the Gallery's contemporary collection that explore history, emotion and geography. The exhibition connects personal and social histories to bigger questions about the origin and nature of the universe. Featuring work by Sadie Benning (USA), Dadang Christanto (Indonesia/Australia), Latifa Echakhch (Morocco/France), Simryn Gill (Malaysia/Australia), Guan Wei (China/Australia), Emily Jacir (Palestine/United States), Anish Kapoor (England), Dinh Q Le (Vietnam), Lee Mingwei (Taiwan/USA), Jose Legaspi (The Philippines), Jorge Mendez Blake (Mexico), Rivane Neuenschwander (Brazil), Henrique Oliveira (Brazil), Mitra Tabrizian (Iran/England), Judy Watson (Waanyi people, Australia) and others.

Ekka

The countdown is on to Queensland's largest and most loved show, the Ekka. The Brisbane Showgrounds will transform into a hive of activity featuring thousands of animals, agricultural, food, art and craft competitions, great value family fun, loads of educational displays, wonderful fresh food and wine and a brand new night time spectacular. Best of all, the Ekka showcases its unique tradition and heritage by bringing the city and country together for a fantastic once a year get-together. Don't miss out!

Explore-a-saurus

Test your strength against a T-Rex jaw, uncover fossils and bones at a dig site and learn how dinosaurs lived. This is one exhibition you'll be roaring to sink your teeth into! This exhibition features animatronic versions of some of the world's most famous dinosaurs, including Muttaburrasaurus, one of the most complete dinosaur skeleton specimens ever found in Australia, and of course the carnivorous Tyrannosaurus rex, King of the Cretaceous Period.

Gluten Free Food Expo

Coeliac Queensland is proud to present the Gluten Free Food Expo at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. A wide variety of gluten free products will be showcased at what is now Queensland's only 100 per cent gluten free food expo. Not just for those diagnosed with coeliac disease, the Gluten Free Food Expo is a fun and affordable day out for the whole family to enjoy. Sample and purchase gluten free foods and listen to informative presentations on the Coles Information Stage. This year they are pleased to welcome back Dr Sue Shepherd, an Accredited Practising Dietitian who is recognised internationally as a leading expert in the field of coeliac disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Sue will present a talk on the differences between IBS and coeliac disease.

Hot Shoe Shuffle

It's been almost 20 years since Hot Shoe Shuffle first wowed audiences around the world. It's song and dance at its very best and most exciting. It's time to get a whole new generation on their feet cheering and applauding. If you've seen the show you'll need no convincing to see it again, and if you haven't you're in for the best night you'll spend at the theatre. Returning to the stage for the first time in 15 years, David Atkins will play Dexter, a role originally played by Jack Webster. Jersey Boys star Bobby Fox will play Spring, the eldest of the tap brothers, a role originally created by David Atkins and Hairspray's Jaz Flowers will play April, the long lost sister. The hits of the Big Band Era...and the hottest tapping you'll ever see with a brilliant Australian cast.

Lifeline Bookfest - Brisbane

The Lifeline Bookfest in Brisbane, will not disappoint the avid book lover who could easily lose themselves in the vast array of mystery, fantasy, humour, crime, romance, fact and fiction on over four kilometres of tables at the Exhibition and Convention Centre in South Brisbane. Being the world's biggest second-hand book sale means the Lifeline Bookfest has a lot to offer including over two million books starting from as little as AUD1 each. There aren't only books to entice book lovers, but also a range of CDs, vinyl, puzzles, stationery and cassettes. Lifeline Bookfest is proudly supported by ABC Radio. Listen to ABC Radio 612 to win early entry into the Bookfest!

Monsters

Since the beginning of cinema, filmmakers have been driven to create monstrous characters, drawing on folklore and literature for inspiration. From the 1930s, Dracula embodied the lust and violence in society, while Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and King Kong, offered cautionary tales of science gone mad, and expressed fears of evolutionary theory and of the outsider. In the 1950s, anxiety regarding the atomic age inspired the oversized monster Godzilla, while in the 1960s, the shock of new wars brought plagues of the undead to the screen. The Gallery's Monsters film program celebrates an enduring fascination with cinematic monsters, surveying the genre's most popular films across six strands: Bloodthirsty Fiends; Zombies, Mutants and Shapeshifters; Misunderstood Monsters; Mad Doctors; Foreign Entities; and Monstrous Absurdities. It also considers some of the most fertile periods of monster filmmaking.

Mothers Day Boutique Market Stalls and Dining at Brisbane Marriott Hotel

Great shopping and delicious dining are both taken of this Mother's Day at Brisbane Marriott Hotel. Visit the Grand Ballroom lobby for a shopping fix where you'll find local talent showcasing boutique market stalls offering a variety of jewellery, ladies' and children's fashion, organics, gift and homewares plus arts and crafts. An ATM will be onsite to ensure everyone can purchase a little gift for Mum. After that, you can choose from a decadent High Tea with sparkling wine in the Grand Ballroom, or visit Motion Bar and Grill and enjoy a full a la carte lunch and wine buffet (plus a free gourmet treat for all Mums to take home). For the chance to win magnificent prizes and support a deserving cause, be sure to purchase a raffle ticket from a Ronald McDonald House Charity volunteer.

Mothers Day Hot Air Balloon Brisbane and Champagne Breakfast

Mother's Day spoil Mum with a Hot Air Balloon Brisbane ride and Canungra Valley Vineyard Champagne Breakfast. So get a great start on Sunday and float over Brisbane's hinterland with views as far as the eye can see. A fleet of three balloons will float up gently and afterwards on the verandah of the Grand Homestead there's a delicious hot breakfast and free wine tasting just a stroll away at Canungra Valley Vineyard.

MS Brissie to the Bay Bike Ride

This year, over 5,000 riders of all ages will be slipping into their lycra to take part in the annual MS Brissie to the Bay bike ride to fight MS - an incurable disease which affects a person's central nervous system. This year's charity ride has four courses including the family friendly 10 kilometre around the Brisbane Riverside, the scenic 25 kilometres to Balmoral, the challenging 50 kilometres to Wynnum, and the 100 kilometre ride to Wellington Point! MS Queensland relies on fantastic individuals like you to get involved and help raise much-needed funds for the 23,000 Australians living with MS. Your donation to MS Queensland helps provide care for people living with MS and funds research to find a cure.

Paniyiri Greek Festival

Paniyiri Greek Festival will be held on Saturday May 18 and Sunday May 19, this year, making it the longest running cultural festival in Queensland and the longest running Greek festival in Australia! In Musgrave Park more than 30 food stalls will showcase the tastes, recipes and secrets of food from all corners of Greece while on the main stage famous Greek dances the Zorba, Sirto, Kalamatiano and Sousta, performed to music performed on traditional Greek instruments including the bouzouki, tarabuka, lira and laouto are enjoyed by Greeks and non-Greeks alike in a wonderful cross cultural celebration. So... if you only learn one Greek word this year, make it Paniyiri!!!

Playing with Light

Dodge laser beams, build a telescope, freeze your shadow on a wall or paint with Infra-red. Their new Sciencentre exhibition, Playing with Light, has full-body interactive exhibits that take you into the bright and colourful world of lights, lasers and lenses. Tackle a smoky maze of lasers as you try and weave and duck your way across a room, dodging lasers without setting off alarms. Be a budding artist as you 'paint with light' and create colourful creations using an infrared paint brush and virtual canvas. Freeze your shadow on the wall. What shape shadow will you make? Catch it before it fades away. See with a spectroscope as you examine different light sources and discover differences in their spectra. With over 22 interactive exhibits, Playing with Light explores the role light plays in our life and in our world. Prepare to be illuminated!

Project Rameau

RAMEAU Excerpts from Les Fêtes d'Hébé; Hippolyte et Aricie; Platée; Les Boréades; Les Indes galantes; Pigmalion; Dardanus; Naïs; Castor et Pollux BACH Violin Partita No.1 in B minor, BWV1002, Sarabande VIVALDI The Four Seasons, Summer: Presto VIVALDI Sinfonia RV739, Andante Sydney Dance Company Richard Tognetti Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela Artistic Director and Choreographer A mutual passion for Rameau's perfumed and powerful French Baroque dance music sparks this new production by Rafael Bonachela and Richard Tognetti. Rameau's flair for rhythm and melody, and feeling for choreography, leads many to name him the greatest-ever ballet composer, certainly the most influential. Bonachela's dynamic choreography, innate musicality and theatricality serve to illuminate this brilliant music.

Quilts 1700–1945

Quilts are evocative symbols of our collective past - stimulating our earliest memories of security and comfort and awakening the senses through touch and smell. They resonate with historical references, revealing the social and cultural significance of what has often been simply perceived as 'women's work'. 'Quilts 1700-1945' explores the personal and social histories embeddedin both highly decorative and homemade bed covers that reveal the maker's complex engagement with the wider world. Exploring over 200 years of British quiltmaking, every quilt has a hidden history, an unspoken story concealed within its layers. The exhibition features works from the V&A's collection and loans from selected UK museums, as well as one of the world's most important textiles, The Rajah quilt 1841, from the National Gallery of Australia.

Regional Flavours

Regional Flavours showcases Queensland's best sustainable producers, farmers and organisations! As Brisbane's signature food and lifestyle event, Regional Flavours promises scrumptious goodies from Queensland's finest providores; captivating presentations and discussions and a weekend of adventurous, immersive, interactive exploration of all things delish. Last year more than 60,000 people attended this two-day event and this year is expected to prove just as popular. So mark your journal for this food adventure!

Ruth Stoneley: A Stitch in Time

The Gallery presents an exhibition of contemporary quilts by the late leading Brisbane quilt-maker Ruth Stoneley (1940-2007). Stoneley was an inspirational figure, not only in terms of the expressive, innovative works she made, but as an active member of the Brisbane quilting community - connecting with other makers through Patchwork Supplies, her Highgate Hill shop, and through her teaching of many local practitioners. While Stoneley came to quilting later in life, only committing herself to her practice full-time from 1982, she quickly made up for lost time, making prolifically and exhibiting widely in Australia and overseas. This exhibition will showcase exemplars of Stoneley's practice, showing her transition from early experimentations with the contained patterns of traditional quilts to the free-flowing, abstract and expressive works she made in later years, reflecting her feelings, emotions and ideas, about herself and about the people around her.

The Big Show: Antiques, Arms, Militaria, Numismatics and Collectors Fair - Brisbane

Big Show is a large gun and militaria fair with, antique and modern firearms, mixed collectables and a small selection of quality antiques. It is practically a huge market for collectors, the majority of items are militaria with a few nice antiques and all sorts of collectables. The fair will have dealers from all over Australia selling all types of collectibles, antique arms, modern firearms and shooting accessories, small amount of antique furniture, coins, bank notes, medals, badges, new and estate gold and silver jewellery, general collectables, uniforms, antique armour, swords and daggers, books, hunting, shooting, and outdoors equipment plus much more. No live ammunition.

Verdi's Women

The love, jealousy, sex and death experienced by Verdi's operatic heroines are nothing compared to that of his real life leading ladies as revealed in Verdi's Women, a new musical play. Verdi's Women takes the audience on an operatic roller-coaster through the lives of the three key love interests of Verdi: his first wife Margherita who died just as Verdi was starting his career; long-time lover Giuseppina Strepponi , the diva who cemented Verdi's success, who finally became Verdi's second wife only to be usurped by another diva, his mistress Teresa Stolz. Sopranos Dania Cornelius, Judit Molnar and Gabrielle Jack bring Verdi's Women to life, whilst performing excerpts from Verdi's Aida, Rigoletto, La Traviata, Macbeth, Il Trovatore, Don Carlo, La Forza del Destino, I Vespri Siciliana, Un Ballo in Maschera, Falstaff and Otello, accompanied by Prue Gibbs. Dinner packages available. Presented by Success on Stage and 4MBS Festival of Classics.

Voice and Reason

Since the colonial era, Indigenous artists have been actively examining the conversations and conflicts involving their ancestors and settlers in Australia. Their works affirm the place of their peoples' cultures in these interactions with different histories and beliefs. This display considers the Indigenous Collection from numerous points of cultural intersection. It highlights contrasting voices and draws attention to the reasoning, knowledge and experience behind the work of Indigenous artists, some in dialogue with works by non-Indigenous artists. Artists featured in this display include Vernon Ah Kee, Gordon Bennett, Eugene Carchesio, John Citizen, Sue Elliott, Fiona Foley, Robert MacPherson, Luke Roberts and Judy Watson.

War Horse

The National Theatre of Great Britain's smash hit production War Horse is coming to Brisbane. War Horse tells the story of Joey, the beloved horse of a boy called Albert, who is sold to the cavalry at the outbreak of World War I and shipped to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. At its heart are astonishing life-size puppets, created by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to life on the stage.

Xavier O'Shannessy - The Jar Collector

The Jar Collector by Gold Satino. "It's history sort of infested me, I hated it. Felt like I was being told it over and over again." Showing as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival, the Jar Collector invites viewers into an intimate and haunting realm sparsely populated by a paddle pool, prosthetic stomachs, two women and a silent boy. Blurring fantasy and fact, this contemporary play delves into the private, tender and peculiar lightheartedness of domestic life and family history.