The city's entertainment horizons consist of an ever-fluctuating range of clubs,
and a sound, if unadventurous, arts scene. The best cross-section of attractions
are north of the river in Petrie Terrace - upmarket yet subdued - and in
Fortitude Valley , which throbs with the nightclub crowd.
Pubs, clubs and live
music
Brisbane
nights were once a byword for boredom: the few
places that offered after-dark entertainment
were either illegal or lifeless and closed
early, and locals headed to the coast for their
weekends. Things have changed, however, and
Brisbane has seen a recent explosion of
home-grown musical talent, with bands such as
Savage Garden, Regurgitator, Custard and
Powderfinger putting the city firmly on the
Australian pop-culture map. On Friday and
Saturday evening the centre is crowded, but the
big push is out to the clubs, bars and
restaurants (many with quality entertainment) of
a reinvented and revamped Fortitude Valley. Live
music venues, however, are on the decline and
tend to open and close in the blinking of an
eye; places listed on this website might be here
to stay, but check with music stores such as
Rocking Horse, 101 Adelaide St, or weekly free
magazines for up-to-the-minute reviews and
listings : RM and Time Off for
rock and live bands, and The Scene for
dance. The webzine
www.brisbanetribe.com covers the same.
There's no standard charge for club entry, and
many places offer free nights and special deals.
Compared with the rest of
the state, which tends to get only mainstream
commercial successes, Brisbane has a varied
programme of films. The Dendy, 346 George St (tel
07/3211 3244), Palace Centro, 39 James St,
Fortitude Valley (tel 07/3852 4488), Schonell,
University of Queensland, St Lucia (tel 07/3321
7690) and Village Twin, on corner of Brunswick
and Annie streets (tel 07/3358 2021), all show
contemporary and vintage foreign-language and
"offbeat" films. Even the multiscreen Hoyts
cinema (tel 07/3229 5544), under the Myer
Centre, and the luxurious Regent (tel 07/3229
5544) further down the mall, are worth checking
for unexpected offerings, as is the State
Library (tel 07/3840 7811). In August the
Brisbane International Film Festival is in
town with a bundle of goodies from around the
world shown over a week - contact one of the
cinemas for details.
Film and theatre
Big theatrical
productions are staged at the Performing
Arts Complex (tel 13 6246) on the South Bank
in the Concert Hall, Optus Playhouse (home of
the Queensland Theatre Company), Cremorne, or
Lyric theatres; look out for lower-key lunchtime
performances, workshops and foyer exhibitions.
The University of Queensland's Cement Box
Theatre, over the river at their St Lucia campus
(tel 07/3377 2240), offers more down-to-earth
repertory fare, and there's also a new venue in
town at the Powerhouse , on the river
next to New Farm Park in eastern Brisbane. A
former power station, this once derelict
building opened in May 2001 as a centre for the
performing arts, including the long-established
La Boite Theatre and Vulcana Womens' Circus.
Contact information outlets for performance
details.
