Live music
Empire of the Sun – pretend it’s 2008 again
25 February at The Fortitude Musical Hall, Fortitude Valley
Having remained a constant on all summer playlists and commercial radio stations since 2008 when they put out their hit single Walking on a Dream, Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore are back performing again as their alt-electro act Empire of the Sun, for the first time since 2017. With 4.4m album sales and 6.1bn streams under their belts, these shows are sure to sell-out.
Julia Jacklin – Australia’s finest (and jangliest)
26 February at The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
During the writing process of her latest album, Pre Pleasure, Julia Jacklin left her instrument of choice – the guitar – to go tinkle some ivories for a change. The result is an impossibly jangly record, where everything from her Catholic upbringing to a cheeky plea for a lover to stop smoking is given the toe-tapping treatment. This is music for waltzing down the street, headphone volume turned up – or better yet, experienced at full blast live. “I just needed there to be a bit of joy,” Jacklin told Guardian Australia – and it shows.
Pavement – indie rock favourites
28 February at The Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley
Stephen Malkmus’s signature Californian drawl returns to Australia in time for the 30th anniversary of Pavement’s debut Slanted and Enchanted. A lot can happen in 30 years, like the fascinating story about how Spotify’s algorithms helped make a slow-burning hit out of a once-obscure B-side. In 2022 the band even cut a new video for the song, with one of the stars of breakout TV hit Yellowjackets, ensuring this latest reunion tour will be an intergenerational celebration of indie rock royalty.
Charli XCX – hyperpop hedonism
28 February at The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
After no doubt delighting the queer community at her WorldPride performance in Sydney, the UK pop auteur is heading to Brisbane to play two headline shows. Australians are big fans of Charli XCX, with her latest album, Crash, debuting at No 1 on the Aria charts. Expect a spectacle, and a lot of vigorous dancing.
Stage
Six: The Musical – raucous pop musical
Until 19 February at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, South Bank
The six wives of Henry VIII battle – and belt – it out for who suffered the most under the Tudor king, turning their woes into a 75-minute pop musical. The Tony award-winning production, which premiered in Edinburgh in 2017 and is still going strong, is fast, feminist and furious, with costumes that wouldn’t look out of place on Lady Gaga. Right royal fun. Recommended for kids over 10.
Visual arts & family-friendly
Play Moves – touch the art
Until 16 April at Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane
The spectator becomes the contributor at Play Moves, the newest exhibition at the best-kept secret in the city centre – the Museum of Brisbane. In this all-ages celebration of creative expression, six large-scale installations rely on the audience’s movements to make the art expand, morph and spring to life. Where else can you “time-warp into a subverted office of the 80s to find a hidden party and jiving pot plants” or “embrace yourself within soft cocooned sculptures”. Roam the joint after dark at the opening party on 9 December.
Air – international art bonanza
Until 23 April at Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, South Bank
Air is an ambitious exhibition featuring a series of major works by more than 30 international and Australian artists. Journeying through five chapters – Atmosphere, Shared, Burn, Invisible and Change – the show invites questions about the cultural, political and ecological dimensions of air. The centrepiece is a major commission from Argentinian-born, Berlin-based artist Tomás Saraceno: a constellation of 13 partially mirrored spheres suspended in the central atrium space of Goma. Breathtaking stuff.
Superpowered – Indigenous art for kids
Until 16 July at Gallery of Modern Art, South Bank
“Don’t touch anything,” is the mantra oft-whispered by parents as they drag their little tikes through cavernous art institutions. The Children’s Arts Centre at Goma is a haven from such adult rules, a place where tiny hands and budding artists can interact with the work. The Superpowered exhibition invites kids to immerse themselves in the murals of Aboriginal superheroes and wild animals via four interactive projects created by First Nations artists Kaylene Whiskey, Tony Albert, Gordon Hookey and Vincent Namatjira. It’s all about encouraging play, empowerment and curiosity.
Parties & festivals
Moonlight Cinema – starry, starry movie nights
Until 19 February at Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane
Watching screen stars under the stars is the stuff of the Australian summer, so we’re pleasantly pumped that Moonlight Cinema is back for its 27th season with an (almost-nightly) program of new blockbusters and retro favourites. Pet pooches are also invited, with plush bean beds and canine movie snacks available for purchase.
