Brisbane’s best festivals

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Festivals add excitement and variety to any city’s cultural calendar– and Brisbane is lucky to host some of the best. From family-friendlycelebrations like Buddha Birthday Festival and Riverfestival toall-encompassing events like the biennial Brisbane Festival, there’ssomething for everyone. And within two hours’ drive of the city aresome not-to-be-missed regional festivals that celebrate food, drink,music, film and dance. So make a note in your diaries now, and don’tmiss South East Queensland’s biggest and best festivals.


Buddha Birthday Festival – May The three-day Buddha Birthday Festivalis a cracker of a birthday party. Held each year at South BankParklands, the festival is open to everyone, and has become one ofBrisbane’s most popular family events. There’s always heaps to see anddo with performers, a children’s amusement area, lots of deliciousvegetarian food stalls, and various workshops.
Highlights include the very popular Bathing Buddha Ceremony,watching the energetic lion dances, seeing multicultural performancesor admiring the traditional Chinese arts and crafts demonstrations.Riverfront fireworks displays cap each day’s activities.  


Brisbane Festival – July Taking place over 17 glorious days and nights, the biennial Brisbane Festival showcases artists from across the city and around the globe in aprogram that includes free community events, street parties, worldpremieres, multimedia installations, opera, theatre, dance, circus,music and everything in between. It’s inspiring, joyful, entertaining,thought-provoking and informative.


Noosa Long Weekend Festival – July Noosa’s beautiful beaches and chic village-style atmosphere are the inspiring backdrop for the Noosa Long Weekend Festival.Taking place over 10 days, the festival presents a broad program ofevents including theatre, literature, music, dance, film, visual arts,food, and thought-provoking forums. Plus there’s an extensive communityprogram of free and low-cost events and activities for young and old.
Whether you’re a lover of live performance, a foodie wanting totaste the delights from Noosa’s fabulous local restaurants, or have asecret desire to learn how to sing in harmony a cappella style, you’llfind an event to suit.


Queensland Music Festival – July The Queensland Music Festival(QMF) is Australia’s largest biennial music festival. Celebrating theworld of music in all its forms, the festival is a statewide event,bringing the new, the skilled, and the cutting edges of music creation,interpretation and appreciation to the whole of Queensland.
From classic to contemporary, from new forms to old styles, from thesublime to the outrageous, the festival ranges from internationallyacclaimed music makers in concert halls to members of the communitymaking music that reflects their particular district and itsdifferences.


Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival – August Timed to coincide with the arrival of Queensland's strongest fashion season - Spring/Summer - the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festivaltakes place over six days and features top international, national andlocal designers, lavish events and parades. It's a major fashion eventand fashionistas worth their salt wouldn't dream of missing it. A wordof warning for MBFF first-timers: the parades sell out fast, so planahead and book early.


Riverfestival – August Brisbane’s iconic Riverfestivalis an annual event that features an extensive programme of fun,informative and free community activities to connect the people ofBrisbane to their river and the environment, including Queensland’slargest fireworks display during the QBE Riverfire.
Held over 10 days in August/September, a time of clear blue sunnyskies and cool nights, the festival utilises many of the city’s outdoorpublic spaces close to the river.


Valley Fiesta – September The annual Valley Fiestaenjoys a reputation as Brisbane’s biggest street party. Held acrossmultiple outdoor stages in the Valley precinct, the event is acelebration of food, fashion, dance, art and, most importantly, music.During the fiesta, the Valley’s live music scene comes under thespotlight as scores of national and local acts descend on the area forthree days of free outdoor entertainment.


Brisbane Writers Festival – September This festival possibly should be renamed the Brisbane ReadersFestival because it really is about the joy of reading. Book lovers cansee their favourite authors, hear discussions of literary topics,browse the tempting book stalls and attend poetry readings and otherevening events. Immerse yourself in five days of reading and writingnirvana.
The Brisbane Writers Festival is concentrated at the Cultural Centre forecourt but events also take place at QPAC, Brisbane Powerhouse and some bookshops.


Brisbane Cabaret Festival – October A “must-see” in Brisbane’s cultural diary, the Brisbane Cabaret Festivaltakes place over four nights each October in the Brisbane Powerhouse.The festival serves as a platform for musical acts (which would notnormally be billed together) to get up close and very personal withtheir audience. It’s a festival about rich music, scrumptious food anddecadent wine, but above all it’s about entertainment.


Woodford Folk Festival - DecemberThe Woodford Folk Festivalis the largest and most diverse folk festival in Australia. Takingplace over six days and nights, lose yourself in the world that becomesWoodford, on a forested site about an hour north of Brisbane. Go feralby camping onsite for the entire week or turn up for a day or night (ortwo). You’ll see more than 2000 performers and 400 events, withconcerts, dances, workshops, forums, street theatre, writers’ panels,film festival, comedy sessions, acoustic jams, social dialogue anddebate, an entire children’s festival, art and craft workshops and latenight cabarets. Despite the crowds and often extreme weather, there’san atmosphere of acceptance and kindness you won’t find anywhere else.

Brisbane’s film festivals Brisbane’s cultural calendar is studded with film festivals thatpresent the best local and foreign cinematic offerings, fromaward-winning feature films and inspiring documentaries to an eclecticmix of short films and animation. Check out what’s happening in ourmonth-by-month guide to Brisbane’s film festivals.


Food festivals in BrisbaneDecadent, delicious, delightful - celebrate good times with greatfood, fine wine, music and more! Read our round-up of the best food festivals Brisbane has to offer.