Brisbane Festival has unveiled its most expansive and city-shaping program to date, in a dynamic celebration of art, culture and community.

The blockbuster 2025 program invites audiences to experience the city anew — from towering whale bones on the river to a world premiere dance trilogy, and bridges reimagined as vibrant works of art. In true Brisbane Festival fashion, from 5–27 September, the entire city will become a stage — and everyone’s invited.

Spanning 23 days, the expansive 2025 program brings together 2,260 artists across 106 productions and 1,069 performances, including 21 world premieres, reaffirming the festival’s place as a defining event on the national cultural calendar. Significantly, over 43% of the program will be offered free to the public, reflecting an ongoing commitment to accessibility and bringing world-class art and performance to every corner of the city.

Louise Bezzina’s Final Festival

This year’s festival marks the sixth and final festival curated by Artistic Director Louise Bezzina, whose creative vision has redefined what a contemporary arts festival can be. Bezzina’s last program is a powerful reflection of her tenure: rich in international collaborations, anchored by First Nations and culturally diverse voices, fuelled by community participation, and bursting with homegrown talent.

Citywide Transformations

A major new commission from Brisbane’s own Craig & Karl, globally renowned art and design visionaries, leads the 2025 festival. Their largest and most ambitious project to date, ANZ’s Walk This Way, will transform three of Brisbane’s most prominent pedestrian bridges — the Neville Bonner Bridge, the Goodwill Bridge, and the new Kangaroo Point Bridge — into vibrant, large-scale artistic interventions.

A citywide public art trail will extend the experience across iconic sites, inviting audiences to cross the bridges, follow the trail, and see Brisbane through an artist’s eyes. Their homecoming continues with Craig & Karl: Double Vision, an exhibition at Griffith University’s Art Museum celebrating their local roots, global influence, and signature visual language.

World Premieres & Major Collaborations

• Gems — A world premiere dance trilogy by choreographer Benjamin Millepied and L.A. Dance Project, commissioned by Van Cleef & Arpels, featuring music by Philip Glass and visuals by Barbara Kruger.
• Baleen Moondjan — A breathtaking large-scale performance on Brisbane’s river by visionary First Nations artist Stephen Page, blending sculptural whale bones, ceremony, and storytelling.
• Bad Nature — A bold collaboration between Australasian Dance Collective and Netherlands’ Club Guy & Roni, pushing boundaries with a multisensory fusion of dance, music and fashion.
• Preparing Ground — A powerful First Nations dance work exploring history and resistance, co-directed by Marilyn Miller, Jasmin Sheppard and Katina Olsen.

Iconic Events Return

• Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust ignites opening weekend with one of Australia’s most spectacular fireworks displays.
• Skylore returns with 400 drones telling traditional First Nations stories.
• Afterglow transforms the City Botanic Gardens into a dreamscape of fire sculptures, candlelit artworks and live performances.

Music, Theatre & Community

• Night at the Parkland: Outdoor concerts beneath the stars featuring ICEHOUSE, Lime Cordiale with Jack River, Xavier Rudd, Amy Shark, Grinspoon, Cut Copy with KLP, and more.
• Tivoli in the Round: Intimate performances from Phantastic Ferniture, OddMob, C.W. Stoneking and others.
• Community Choir: The Musical: Everyday voices take centre stage in a heartfelt celebration of song and community.
• 100 Guitars: A mass-participation music event celebrating collaboration and connection.

Festival Details

Dates: 5 – 27 September 2025
Program Launch: 11 June 2025
Tickets: On sale from 10am, 11 June 2025 at brisbanefestival.com.au
Connect: @brisbanefestival

Brisbane Festival by Numbers

• 106 productions
• 1,069 performances
• 2,260 artists
• 21 world premieres
• 4 Australian exclusives
• 18 dance productions
• 17 First Nations productions
• 43 free productions (475 free performances)