About
Brisbane Festival is a festival like no other, born from a city unlike any other.
A river city known for its bold energy and vibrant spirit, Brisbane also carries an unexpected rawness — rooted in a history of defiance, charged with intensity, and alive with thought-provoking creativity.
This duality defines us. We don’t just host a festival, we transform the city. Theatres, venues, parks, streets, and rooftops become vibrant stages for uniquely Brisbane experiences, where art collides with place, and audiences are immersed in moments that celebrate the city's contrasts — bright and electric, raw and revelatory.
Our Story
The Brisbane Festival story starts with The Warana Festival, which first lit up the city in 1961. Much loved, the festival ‘by the people, for the people,’ was all heart and community spirit. But after the buzz of Expo ’88, Brisbane was ready to dream bigger.
In 1996, the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council relaunched Warana as Brisbane Festival, a biennial arts festival, dedicated to fostering creativity and cultural expression. Around the same time, Riverfestival arrived, celebrating the river with arts, science, sport, and sustainability. Its showstopper? Riverfire, the fireworks spectacular that quickly became a Brisbane icon.
In 2009, the two festivals came together, creating the vibrant, city-wide, international arts festival we know today. And just like that, Riverfire became the ultimate festival celebration, setting the sky — and city — alight in spectacular style.
Today, Brisbane Festival is one of Australia’s most exciting and defiant arts events — one that is unmistakably Brisbane. Born from a spirit of resistance, the city’s artistic identity thrives on independence. From counterculture to underground theatre, the city’s artists have always created on their own terms. That radical spirit continues to drive the festival — blending bold innovation with world-class production, amplifying local voices while embracing the global stage. It’s where creativity takes over the city, where anything feels possible, and where the unexpected becomes the unforgettable.
Our Values
First Nations
We work closely with our Indigenous Advisory Group and the individual members.
We are proud of the work we have achieved together, not only in the depth and quality of the First Nations works we have commissioned and presented on our stages, but in the meaningful commitment to Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people demonstrated throughout the entire organisation through collaboration, industry support, and growing audiences and investment to elevate artists and community members. This is a time of great importance in our country's path towards reconciliation. There is a need for non-indigenous Australians to listen deeply, enact appropriate change and find new paths in our journey to work together with the First Nations people of this country.
Our inaugural RAP is a step forward in this journey for Brisbane Festival. It outlines our commitment and our vision for growing together with the First Nations people on this country. It has been created with the support of an internal working group of Brisbane Festival staff and members of our Indigenous Advisory Group, Elder Aunty Raelene Rallah-Baker (Yuggera, Birri, Girramay nations), and Elder Aunty Bridget Garay (Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation).
A Barrier Free Festival
Our commitment to accessibility and inclusion is focused on four key areas:
Access and Inclusion Identifying and reducing barriers in physical and digital spaces.
Economic Participation and Employment Addressing barriers to inclusion to enable economic participation.
Engagement and Participation Collaborating directly with the disability community for feedback and expertise.
Sector and Community Development Serving as a model for accessible practices in arts and events, fostering continuous learning and influence.
Our acknowledgments extend to our producing and venue partners and Brisbane Festival's Official Access and Inclusion Partner, CPL — Choice, Passion, Life.
Disability Inclusion Action Plan
Our Disability Inclusion Action Plan embodies our dedication to ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to and participation in all aspects of the festival. By embracing diversity and removing barriers, we aim to create an environment where everyone can fully engage, appreciate, and celebrate the arts. We would like to acknowledge the assistance and input of the many contributors to the creation of this document. These contributors include members of the disability community, employees of Brisbane Festival, and employees of Access and Inclusion Partner, CPL – Choice, Passion, Life.
The document is available in the following formats:
Easy English (available upon request)
If you require this document in a different format, please contact us at brisbanefestival@brisbanefestival.com.au
Sustainability
Sustainability at Brisbane Festival is anchored to implementing practices and initiatives that mitigate adverse environmental, social, and economic impacts while maximising positive outcomes.
This includes embedding sustaining principles across all phases of the event planning, management, and delivery.
Key components of event sustainability include the promotion of inclusivity and diversity, support for local communities and businesses, waste reduction, resource conservation, carbon emission reduction, and facilitation of community engagement and education on sustainability issues.