Music
Motown matriarch Gladys Knight is taking that midnight train to Brisbane for her farewell tour. Experience this music legend live and loud at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre this Saturday, belting all her sensational soul music for this once-in-a-lifetime show. In the mood for 90s nostalgia? Pop group Aqua is bound for Brisbane this Sunday with a show at Eatons Hill Hotel. Aqua’s supercharged pop tunes will be performed by all original members, with special guests being hinted as well. Come on, Barbie, let’s go party.

SummerSalt is kicking off festival season with a stellar line-up of artists set to take the stage at beautiful Bribie Island. Experience the guitar-string plucked songs of Matt Corby, James Bay’s pop hits and the electric talent of Australian indie-darling Thelma Plum. The full-day festival will be taking over Sandpoint Hotel this Saturday with tickets still on sale.

Queensland Symphony Orchestra continues its Studio Series this weekend, inviting you into the intimate setting of its studio to hear the mesmerising talent of the company. On Friday and Saturday, March Heru Pinkasova will weave her true stories through reimagined Papuan folk songs to create the soulful operatic cabaret, Pacific Harmonies. Audiences get the rare opportunity to witness the collision of these two styles in a powerful performance.

Theatre and cinema
Experience the magic of the musical classic Beauty and the Beast the Musical at Lyric Theatre. With a sensational soundtrack penned by Alan Menken, this musical reimagines the beloved Disney film for the stage. The classic fairy-tale story comes to life with captivating sets and opulent costumes for a reverie of romance. It’s your last weekend to see Banging Denmark the romcom play by Van Badham at PIP Theatre. This comedy of sex, love, modern manners and ancient vanities follows a pickup artist forced to reform his ways with the help of the feminist academic Ish.  With its run finishing up this Saturday, it’s your last chance to see this side-splitting piece of contemporary theatre before it’s gone.

Pass le popcorn, Alliance Francaise French Film Festival returns to Palace Cinemas for its 35th year. Film fanatics can experience a captivating program featuring 41 films from legendary French filmmakers to emerging talent. Find your screening here.

Exhibitions
Experience Japanese artist Hiromi Tango’s artist residency at the Museum of Brisbane this weekend, showcasing the community-led project Gentle Petal. The multi-room installation features upcycled textiles for attendees to create flowers, which will then enliven the walls of the Adelaide Street Pavilion. Hiromi’s vibrant project aims to inspire healing through the social connection of creating together.

Across the river, QAGOMA’s blockbuster exhibition Fairy Tales continues for another weekend. Journey through its galleries of grandeur artworks and artefacts that explore the fantastical world of fairy tales. Childhood stories come alive in this curated collection – bound to delight kids and adults alike. Over the weekend, Australian Cinémathèque is continuing its movie marathon of fairy-tale-themed films – spanning new contexts and different eras. In the same precinct, QAGOMA also just launched its latest exhibition from Waanyi artist Judy Watson. mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri is a career survey of four decades of work, featuring prints, paintings, sculptures and more that channel the stories of her family’s Waanyi Country in north-west Queensland. The exhibition opens this Saturday, with the prolific Judy Watson leading a gallery tour, followed by a poetry reading that afternoon by the artist’s son.

Live events
World Science Festival Brisbane is on again this weekend with an out-of-this-stratosphere line-up of science sessions featuring some of our favourite Aussie minds. On Saturday night, you can hear from the iconic Dr Karl as he explores the greatest moments in science or witness the queens of the silver screen Leigh Sales AM and Annabel Crabb in conversation with scientists. Find out more of what’s on offer here.

Razor-sharp raconteur Miriam Margoyles is bringing her hilarious show to QPAC this Sunday for an evening of jaw-dropping and potty-mouthed stories. The actress and cultural icon is delving into her expansive career of chaotic crossovers for an evening that’s bound to be outrageous, obscene and rawly honest. Tickets are on sale here.

ΩHM Festival is back for another year of curious culture, music legends and genre-bending performances at Brisbane Powerhouse. This weekend sees another boundary-pushing event agenda that unites fringe artists with new-wave creators and historic heavyweights. Catch indie-rock icon Kim Gordon as well as the return of Australasian Dance Collective’s THREE – a triple bill performance showcasing three bold choreographic voices. Discover more of the program here.

Food and drink
It’s World Tiramisu Day this Thursday and Italian-eatery Settimo is celebrating the holy holiday with plates of the decadent dessert for just $5. The traditional dessert uses biscotti from Veneto and the Liquore Strega & Sambuca for an authentic and indulgent taste. While this delicious delicacy deserves to be enjoyed year round, Thursday’s the day to truly honour its heavenly taste. For our frothy fiends, explore the best breweries and bars of Brisbane at Urban Craft Beer Crawl this Saturday. The self-guided trail takes you through the best hop spots in Fortitude Valley and Newstead such as BrewDog, Green Beacon Brewing Co. and Soapbox Beer. With eight beer vouchers to claim, fire up the group chat and get the gang together to new froths and flavours.

Markets
Stock up on fresh-local produce, bespoke goodies and street food snacks at one of the weekly markets as well. Riverside Markets, Kelvin Grove Village Market, Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Carseldine Markets, Nundah Farmers Markets and the Redcliffe Markets are open and trading this weekend. For our night owls still craving the delicious market fare but can’t beat the ‘snooze’ button, hit up Eat Street Northshore. Open 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 update