Live music
A stellar line-up from The Princess Theatre this weekend will see a 35-year celebration of timeless hits from iconic band 1927, with a special appearance from Jason Signh on Friday, followed by a performance from New York City rapper Lil Tecca on Saturday. On Sunday, round out your weekend by bearing witness to contemporary greatness with pianist Hania Rani. Plan ahead and purchase your tickets here!

This Saturday, welcome American starlet Maggie Lindemann for her first visit Down Under as she makes her way to The Triffid as part of her Suckerpunch Australian tour. The pop-punk trailblazer broke through the music scene right into the hands of success and stardom following her breakout single in 2016, ‘Pretty Girl’. Be a part of the Maggie Lindemann story with her star only set to shine brighter as she takes to the Brisbane stage for one night only! Tickets can be purchased here.

All things food and drink
Work up an appetite with Alison Roman as she takes you through her latest cookbook, Sweet Enough. Already a successful New York Times cooking columnist, Alison broke through to internet stardom with her refreshing approach to no-fuss cooking, turning fear-mongering dessert recipes into simple and achievable yet delicious ones – there are no excuses! Steep in her wealth of knowledge as she is joined by special guest, editor, journalist and content creator Belinda Seeney, at the Brisbane Powerhouse this Sunday as the two share some sweet tips and culinary confessions – chef’s kiss!

Mosey on down to the water’s edge at Newstead this Saturday May 6 for Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct’s Farm Gate to City Door Market, running from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. The market will showcase an array of delights from the bounty that is the Scenic Rim – expect to find everything from seasonal vegetables, artisan honey and dairy products to craft beer, boutique wine and locally-distilled sips. With all produce straight from the countryside to the city streets – it doesn’t get much better than that. If you happen to be taking mum along with you (Mother’s Day will just be one week away, remember!), be sure to start your morning with a revitalising Mother’s Day yoga class at Function Well, before meandering through the myriad of market stalls, with some smooth live tunes setting the tone for your mum’s magical morning. Then, hop aboard a self-skippered GoBoat and enjoy a leisurely picnic on the Brisbane River with your sumptuous Scenic Rim sips and snacks.

Theatre, film and live shows
Brisbane Comedy Festival is now in full swing, with this year’s festival forecast to deliver one month of laugh-out-loud moments – both tearful and belly-aching. The ever-growing festival includes performances from homegrown iconic acts and live shows, taking over Brisbane’s funniest venues – The Tivoli, Brisbane Powerhouse and The Fortitude Music Hall. On Friday May 5, join Dilruk Jayasinha as he performs his brand new stand-up routine – Heart Stopper, following a year of health horrors when one of his arteries tried to hit the brakes on his heart – not funny! Keen for Friday afternoon knockoffs with a side of giggles? Knockoff makes its return to the Brisbane Powerhouse every Friday from May 5–26 – and best yet, it’s free! On Saturday May 6 you can chuckle for charity at Frocking Hilarious, where some of the funniest women in comedy come together for a night of hilarity – all for a good cause. Stick around on Saturday night for an After Hours special, where you can see your favourite comedians and live acts try their hand at new material or bring back some old favourites. With the line-up changing every night, it’s funny on steroids. You can also catch the razor sharp wit of Andrew Barnett on Saturday night along comedy up-and-comer Emma Holland, as she takes you on a journey of observation, traversing through mere ordinary topics seen through an extraordinary (hilarious) lens. What are you waiting for? Book tickets here and get amongst it! 

Head on down to QPAC this Friday and Saturday to catch Lucie In The Sky for its Brisbane performance debut. In this dystopian performance, dancers and drones entwine in a way our ancestors would never have predicted. A drone with its own personality is sure to spark a thought-provoking post-show dinner debate on the impacts modern technology has on human kind. With only a handful of performances pencilled in until its departure on Saturday May 13, make sure to get in quick – purchase your tickets here!

Outdoors loving
Secure your Saturday sweat, Jane Fonda style, by joining in the brand-new autumn season of the Medibank Feel Good Program in the beautiful surrounds of the South Bank Parklands. Grab your workout buddies and take a spot on the lush green grass of South Bank as health and wellbeing icon Tim Robards leads you on a free heart-pumping workout. All levels are welcome and bookings are not required – just head on down to Flowstate from 9:30–10:15 am. Learn more about all of the upcoming events here.

Exhibitions
The Brisbane Street Art Festival is back and packing a punch as local artists and talent from around the world take to the streets of Brisbane, showcasing their work through art of all forms. The Festival Launch Party is kicking things off this Saturday May 6, marking the beginning of the jam-packed two-week program of events, exhibitions and showcases that are set to take over various locations of the city. Tickets include access to opening acts such as the multi-disciplinary exhibit Within These Walls, an exhibition celebrating First Nations artists Still Here, and the multi-sensory installation Cognitive Dissonance. Venues that will play host to the live mural sites across the two-week program are Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and Queen Street Mall. As if that doesn’t sound enticing enough – Scribble Slam makes its return this year and will see two revolving artists go head-to-head every weekend in a crusade of colour with the first battle being held as part of the Festival Launch Party this Saturday. Let the right side of your brain break free – learn more about the upcoming events and purchase your tickets here.

The Art of Banksy – Without Limits is taking over the lower ground of Queens Plaza for an immersive interactive exhibition showcasing the works of one of the most famous-yet-elusive artists in the world. With more than 150 of Banksy’s works on display, grab at this opportunity to witness greatness with both hands. Purchase your tickets to this highly anticipated event here.

Catch the star-filled, multi-Academy-Award-winning film adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s complex multi-layered novel The English Patient at The Gallery of Modern Art this Saturday as part of the curated Juliette Binoche program. The film evokes fleeting experiences of love in a time of war as it follows the fateful love triangle of an elegant British woman, her aviator husband and her lover through the eyes of a horribly burnt survivor. The flick starts rolling at 12:10 pm and tickets can be purchased here.

Sixteen life-sized dinosaur skeletons from South America take centre stage for Queensland Museum’s blockbuster exhibit – 230 million years in the making – Dinosaurs of Patagonia. Your breath is guaranteed to be taken away as you witness the world’s biggest dinosaur, the titanosaur Patagotitan, as well as sharp-toothed carnivores, pocket-sized herbivores and a whole lot of interactive activities. The dinos are in town until October – meaning you can get your prehistoric fix more than once!

Heading to the Gold Coast this weekend? Check out the hyped Pop Masters: Art from the Mugrabi Collection, New York exhibition at HOTA to see works by iconic artists Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Tip – grab a burger and a cocktail at the Exhibitionist Bar while you’re at it.

If you’re eager to stroll through some stalls and stock up on some fresh fruit and veg over the weekend, be sure check out these markets happening – Saturday Fresh Market, Riverside Markets, Kelvin Grove Village Market, Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Davies Park Market, Carseldine Markets, Nundah Farmers Markets and the Redcliffe Markets. For delicious dinnertime eats, Eat Street Northshore is on for your snacking pleasure on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Events may be subject to be postponed or cancelled at the last minute. We do our best to remove cancelled events but be sure to check the organiser’s own event page for the most current updates.

Want more? Head to our comprehensive Event Guide for all of the fun around town where you can search by category, date, location and more!

This article was written by Stamatina Notaras from The Weekend Edition.