Brisbane Festival is squirrelling away in preparation to transform the river city into a roving stage, despite disruptions caused by travel restrictions.

Lockdowns in Sydney, Melbourne, and ACT have thrown a sizeable spanner in the works for the Festival which has expanded its Brightly Brisbane programme, undeterred by postponements and cancellations.

A huge lineup of new artists have been added to their Street Serenades programme including Brisbane’s superstar Kate Miller-Heidke, Queensland Ballet, Cheap Fakes, Emma Dean, Chris Tamwoy, Camerata, The Little Red Company and world music artists Yoyo Tuki and Tibet2Timbuk2.

george’s Katie Noonan will also perform a Street Serenades set on top of her Tivoli show The Sweetest Taboo which will see her repurpose classic ’80’s songs to jazz.

“I am a fiercely proud Brisbane and Queensland artist and think we make some of the best art in the world, hands down,” she said.

“We’re renegades – we lead, we don’t follow. I think the fighting spirit of the artists of the ‘70s and ‘80s lives on in our creative DNA. We don’t want to sound or look like other people; we want to be unique.”

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina said she was thrilled to announce new works from Joel Bray and Babushka, welcome another two installations from ENESS and add performances to Brisbane’s Art Boat.

“The past 18 months have been incredibly challenging for artists, performers and arts workers so we are delighted to have the opportunity to include more talented local creatives in our program this year,” Ms Bezzina said.

ENESS are staging two new installations as part of Brisbane Festival, I Believe and Light Seesaws (Image: Brisbane Festival)

Brisbane’s Art Boat will see didgeridoo star William Barton and violinist Veronique Serret playing on-board, as well as performances by House of Alexander and Opera Queensland added to the rotating cast of performers.

Art and technology company ENESS are staging two new installations, Light Seesaws and I Believe alongside Sky Castle and Airship Orchestra and Dead Puppet Society’s Ishmael has been extended by another week.

“I am thrilled to see audiences embrace our Brightly Brisbane program with strong ticket sales and am happy to announce that another week of shows has been added to the world premiere season of Dead Puppet Society’s Ishmael,” said Bezzina.

Ishmael, a science fiction reinvention of Moby Dick, will now run from 3 September to 18 September at QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre.

In addition, Joel Bray is teaching audiences how to love contemporary dance with drinks and live music in La Boite’s forecourt with I Liked It, BUT… and award-winning performance group Babushka are putting on a show for the kids with Right to Party, a show described as “School of Rock meets Beastie Boys and the Spice Girls”.

Border closures and travel restrictions have caused Brisbane Festival to grapple with cancellations and postponements, including the following:

• The Huxleys, Brisbane’s Art Boat 16-18 September – Replaced with William Barton and Veronique Serret, House of Alexander and Opera Queensland
• Blak Day Out, The Tivoli, 10 September – Postponed
• An Evening with Marlon Williams, The Tivoli, 21-22 September – Postponed
• Considerable Sexual Licence, The Bock QUT Kelvin Grove, 10-15 September – Replaced with I Liked It, BUT…
• Songs That Made Me: Jess Hitchcock, The Tivoli, 12 September – Postponed
• Coming Back Out Salon 18 September – Postponed
• Heart Is a Wasteland, Cremorne Theatre QPAC, 15-18 September – Cancelled
• Bunggul, Concert Hall QPAC, 24-25 September – Cancelled
• AGAPI | ΑΓΑΠΗ & Other Kinds of Love, New Benner Theatre Metro Arts, 14-16 September – Cancelled

Brisbane Festival begins 3 September and runs until 25 September, for more information about programming visit their website.