Cairns & Far North Queensland
For a piece of real country nostalgia, head to this old-school drive-in cinema, the only one left in Far North Queensland. It screens two mainstream…
Must-see entertainment in Queensland
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Brisbane
Known locally as QPAC, Brisbane’s main performing arts centre comprises four venues and the Tony Gould Gallery, the latter a small exhibition space…
Fortitude Valley
From music to comedy, you can expect international notables and local success stories treading the boards at this elegant art-deco stager, built in 1917…
Fortitude Valley
Going strong since 1992, the Zoo remains a grungy spot for indie rock, folk, acoustic, hip-hop, reggae and electronic acts, with no shortage of raw talent…
Fortitude Valley
A steroids shot for Brisbane's already muscly live-music scene, ballroom-inspired Fortitude Music Hall has some serious backers, including ex-Powderfinger…
Fortitude Valley
The Foundry serves up good times in the form of pool tables and a solid line-up of top-notch, up-and-coming Aussie bands. The joint is a proper music and…
Brisbane
What was a 1920s power station is now a hub of nationally and internationally acclaimed theatre, music, comedy, dance and more. The complex also hosts a…
Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
Fortitude Valley
The Valley's free-thinking arts incubator hosts an eclectic array of cultural treats, including contemporary dance, circus and visual arts. It's also the…
Fortitude Valley
A haven of metal, hard-core and punk: black-clad musos of menace from around Australia, the US, the UK, Europe and Japan, in-yer-face and unrelenting…
Cairns
CoCA was undergoing a major refurbishment in 2018, but should reopen in mid-2019 – check the website for updates.
American Express Openair Cinemas
Brisbane
From mid-July to mid-August, watch recent-release films and retro favourites in Brisbane's City Botanic Gardens. You can hire loungers ($9) and blankets (…
Brisbane & Around
Toowoomba's cultural heart beats stridently inside the magnificent Empire Theatre, sections of which date back to 1911 (the facade is from 1933). The…
Brisbane
You can cheer both AFL football and interstate and international cricket at the Gabba in Woolloongabba, south of Kangaroo Point. If you’re new to cricket,…
Brisbane
This downtown venue hosts community theatre, local dramatic pieces, dance and art shows. It’s an effervescent spot for a taste of Brisbane’s creative…
Fortitude Valley
The foundation stone of this 1906 church says 'To the glory of God'. But it's the god of live alternative rock the faithful are here to worship these days…
Brisbane
When those subtropical heavens open up, take refuge at New Farm's historic movie palace. Remodelled and restored, its state-of-the-art screening rooms…
Sunshine Coast
This is the largest entertainment centre on the Sunshine Coast, with two theatres and a number of auxiliary event spaces. The centre hosts hundreds of…
Surfers Paradise
A bastion of culture and civility beside the Nerang River, this arts centre has two cinemas, a cafe, a bar, an outdoor stage and a 1200-seat theatre,…
Townsville & Mission Beach
Come nightfall Towers Hill, the site where gold was first discovered, is the atmospheric setting for an open-air cinema showing the 20-minute film Ghosts…
Brisbane
Straight out of the bayou, this tiny riverside jazz shack has been Brisbane’s jazz beacon since 1972. Anyone who’s anyone in the scene plays here when…
Townsville & Mission Beach
Capturing the town's strong echoes of another age, this fabulous little drive-in, one of Queensland oldest, is a very local way to spend an evening. Check…
Brisbane
Near Roma St Station in the Barracks Centre, the plush, six-screen Palace Barracks (complete with bar) shows both mainstream and alternative fare. It also…
Brisbane
A short walk from South Bank Parklands, this is the cheapest complex for mainstream releases, screened in either 2D or 3D. Screenings are cheapest before…
Brisbane
Evocatively set in the City Botanic Gardens, this outdoor arena hosts plenty of prolific national and international music acts, with past acts including…
Cairns
This offbeat little bar rocks to the beat of some of Cairns' best – and oft-unheralded – live-music groups and performers. Blues is a speciality, but acts…
Cairns & Far North Queensland
The Majestic has operated as a cinema since 1929, giving it some claim to being Australia's longest-running cinema. Today it's an old-fashioned experience…
Brisbane
Films include current mainstream releases as well as modern cult classics. Food and drink (including alcohol) are available for purchase (card payments…
Brisbane
A professional, Brisbane-based performing-arts company running annual seasons of opera and Broadway musical recitals in the subterranean Spring Hill…
Cairns
Next to the Botanic Gardens, Tanks is one of Cairns' premier live-music and performance venues, hosting a regular lineup of touring bands, theatre and…
Cairns
In addition to table games and pokies, Cairns’ casino has five dining spots and three bars, including the enormous Casino Sports Arena bar. Catch dinner…
Brisbane
Part of Griffith University, the conservatorium hosts 250 music performances a year, featuring students, faculty and alumni. It also hosts touring artists…
Fortitude Valley
On see-and-be-seen James St, Palace Centro screens quality mainstream releases as well as independent films. It also hosts a French film festival in March…
Cairns
Although only open three nights a week, Babinda's old-school cinema is worth waiting for. It screens new releases but the huge, photogenic theatre has …
Outback Queensland
At the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, this entertaining one-man show tells the story of Aussie stockmen and horse-breakers. The evening show includes…
Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands
Footlights hosts a three-course meal and a two-hour comedy-variety show every Friday and Saturday night. Over 20 years in a difficult industry in a small…
Port Douglas
Home of the Douglas Arts Theatre Group, Clink is Port's long-running theatre venue with regular local plays, musicals, concerts and comedy acts. See the…
Cairns
Community plays and musicals hit the stage regularly at this small theatre opposite Centenary Lakes in Edge Hill. It's 4.5km northwest of the city centre …
Cairns
Enjoy classic films amid the foliage and finery of the Botanic Gardens. Check the website for upcoming showings (there are usually two a month).
Brisbane
Brisbane's team in the Australian Football League (AFL). You can watch them live at a home game at the Gabba between March and September.
Brisbane
Despite the theatre's location on a city university campus, productions here are anything but amateur. Expect to see some of Australia’s best professional…
