The 2019 shows and events to get excited about

Get your calendar ready for 2019 – these shows are going to add colour to it! From annual festivals to major new exhibitions and thought-provoking theatre, this is your guide to creative events in Brisbane as they're announced.

-- THEATRE + MUSICALS --

Les Misérables

Can you see Les Misérables too many times? Given its monumental status in the realm of classics – and not to mention it is the world’s longest-running musical – it seems there really is no such thing as too much Les Misérables. So relive this epic tale again when Queensland Conservatorium presents its major production for 2019.

8–17 August at Conservatorium Theatre

-- FESTIVALS --

MELT Festival

Love is … MELT Festival. Celebrating pride, humanity and rebellion in equal doses, this vibrant annual culture fest not only gives the LGBTIQ+ community a voice, it is also a reminder of just how important love is, regardless of the form it happens to take.

28 June to 7 July at Brisbane Powerhouse

Brisbane Writers Festival

From fact to fantasy, the written word inspires in so many ways. Whether you escape through books or use them to challenge yourself, you will find a talk to suit your literary persuasions when Brisbane Writers Festival returns for 2019. 

5–8 September at State Library of Queensland

BIGSOUND 

One of the country’s seminal music events and BIGSOUND will continue to celebrate Australian music in 2019. As well as being an industry conference, the festival is also your chance to take a four-day musical excursion as you hop between bars in Fortitude Valley.

3–6 September at Fortitude Valley

Brisbane Festival

The annual arts bonanza of music, cabaret, circus and theatre returns again this year for 22 days across September. And, true to tradition, Brisbane Festival will wrap up in a glittering flurry of colour for Riverfire.

6–28 September across Brisbane

Brisbane International Film Festival

For films you cannot see anywhere else, Brisbane International Festival (BIFF) brings a curation of global cinema to our doorstep. The festival takes you on a deep dive into new cultures through more than 100 films and documentaries, together with guest panels. The festival found fresh direction in the hands of GOMA last year, and this is set to continue with the 2019 instalment.

3–13 October at GOMA

-- ART + DESIGN --

Quilty

It has been more than a decade since a gallery presented a major survey of Ben Quilty’s work, but that is all set to change with the opening of this exhibition at GOMA. Quilty presents works from the artist’s time at the frontlines of war and the Syrian refugee crisis, together with intimate portraits and his revisions of the Australian landscape.

29 June to 13 October at GOMA

-- MUSIC --

Nevermind  

This young French ensemble is charming the world with its effortless charisma. Nevermind revives the universal appeal of period music – and in this concert presented by Musica Viva, you will experience Bach, Telemann, Marais and more.

24 October at Conservatorium Theatre

Image: Photography by Jeff Busby