Brisbane Festival 2026: 10 Highlights from Dance Parties to Henson Retrospective
The Brisbane Festival 2026 is set to take place from September 4 to September 26, featuring the theme 'switch on, light up, come alive' under the leadership of new Artistic Director Ebony Bott. Noteworthy events include the world premiere of Suzie Miller's 'Strong Is the New Pretty' at QPAC (September 1-19), the Queensland debut of 'The Choir of Man' at Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent (September 3-26), and the Australian premiere of 'Werewolf' by Binge Culture at Brisbane Powerhouse (September 23-26). Additional highlights are 'Daybreaker' at Brisbane Festival Village (September 12) and 'Attenborough's Ocean in Concert' at QPAC (September 16-17). From September 12, 2026, to April 18, 2027, the Gallery of Modern Art will showcase 'Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of the Jim Henson Company.'
Key facts
- Brisbane Festival 2026 runs from 4 to 26 September.
- Artistic Director Ebony Bott leads her first festival.
- Theme: 'switch on, light up, come alive'.
- World premiere of Suzie Miller's 'Strong Is the New Pretty' at QPAC Playhouse, 1-19 September.
- 'The Choir of Man' makes Queensland debut at Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, 3-26 September.
- 'Daybreaker' early-morning dance party at Brisbane Festival Village, 12 September.
- 'Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of the Jim Henson Company' at GOMA, 12 September 2026 to 18 April 2027.
- 'Attenborough's Ocean in Concert' at QPAC Concert Hall, 16-17 September.
Entities
Artists
- Ebony Bott
- Kuweni Dias Mendis
- Claire Grant
- Lee Wilkes
- Suzie Miller
- Luke Murphy
- David Attenborough
- Steven Price
- Nic Doodson
- Andrew Kay
- Shaun Johnston
- Sarah Ward
Institutions
- Brisbane Festival
- Queensland Performing Arts Centre
- Metro Arts
- Gallery of Modern Art
- Brisbane Powerhouse
- Thomas Dixon Centre
- The Farm
- Binge Culture
- Wakka Wakka
- Camerata – Queensland's Chamber Orchestra
- The Jim Henson Company
- Adelaide Fringe Festival
- Edinburgh Fringe
- Sydney Opera House
- ArtsHub
- ScreenHub
Locations
- Brisbane
- Australia
- Queensland
- New York City
- Edinburgh
- Adelaide
- Sydney
- Melbourne
- Norway
- United States
- South Korea
- France
- Portugal
- Italy
- Taiwan
- Sweden
- Gold Coast