Spanning 23 days and bringing together 2,260 artists across 106 productions and 1,069 performances, Brisbane Festival is returning with a bang in 2025.

This year's festival program is brimming with First Nations performances, events, activities and more.

2025 marks the sixth and final festival curated by artistic director Louise Bezzina, whose creative vision has redefined what a contemporary arts festival can be. Bezzina's 2025 program is a powerful reflection of her tenure: rich in international collaborations, anchored by First Nations and culturally diverse voices, fuelled by community participation, and bursting with homegrown talent.

This year over 39 per cent of the program will be free to the public, reflecting an ongoing commitment to accessibility and bringing world-class art and performance to every corner of the city.

Brisbane Festival Indigenous Advisory Group chair Aunty Bridget Garay (Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation) expressed how thrilled she was to see culture and First Nations voices amplified in the festival's 2025 program

"I am so pleased to see the program for 2025. It reflects a genuine and ongoing commitment to embedding First Nations voices across every part of the festival. The Reconciliation Action Plan is not just symbolic, it's a call to action, and this program shows that in real time. There is so much to see and be a part of," she said.

In one of the most anticipated events of the festival, acclaimed creative visionary Stephen Page returns to his hometown of Brisbane with his first major commission since leaving Bangarra. Inspired by a story from Stephen's grandmother from the Ngugi/Nunukul/Moondjan people of Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), Baleen Moondjan (18–21 September) is a monumental outdoor ceremony set amongst giant floating whale bones on the Brisbane River.

A celebration of totemic systems and whale songlines, this original work fuses contemporary dance, language, and storytelling with an all-star creative team including Jacob Nash and Alana Valentine.

"Baleen Moondjan is such a significant moment. To have Stephen Page bring us an incredible work, grounded in a local story from his grandmother's Country, is deeply powerful and reflects the festival's commitment to platforming cultural knowledge with care and respect," Garay continued.

Opening the festival is the world premiere of Preparing Ground (5th–7th of September), a deeply resonant dance work created over six years in close collaboration with community.

Kukuyalanji/Waanyi woman Marilyn Miller, Tagalaka/Kurtitjar woman Jasmin Sheppard, and Wakka Wakka/Kombumerri woman Katina Olsen share the stage, carrying stories of displacement and reclamation, together they create a powerful new language that dances with the weight of history and the fire of resistance.

"Preparing Ground has been six years in the making, led by community and grounded in lived experience. The festival has walked alongside that process, and the result is a work that speaks directly to truth, strength and continuity," said Garay.

Justin Welfare, First Nations affairs lead, QIC said this year's program once again places our Country's first storytellers at its heart.

"As the inaugural Reconciliation Partner of the Brisbane Festival, QIC is incredibly proud to be supporting First Nations employment opportunities that help celebrate the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists," he said.

"This year's program once again places our Country's very first storytellers at its heart. Reconciliation starts with listening, learning and deep respect, and Brisbane Festival invites everyone to do exactly that."

Returning for its third year, Skylore – Nieergoo: Spirit of the Whale (25th–27th of September) will once again fill the sky with hundreds of drones in a breathtaking retelling of creation stories by Yuggera and Toorabul man Shannon Ruska. This spectacular annual event merges ancient storytelling with modern technology in a bold celebration of culture and place.

"We are proud to be a platinum partner of Brisbane Festival, presenting partner of the highly anticipated Baleen Moondjan and supporting partner of the iconic Skylore event. This September, Queen's Wharf precinct will come alive in a sea of pink, inviting both locals and visitors to celebrate the vibrant talent, creativity, and culture that defines Brisbane Festival," said The Star Brisbane chief executive Daniel Finch.

From the 10th–13th September, Unveiling Shadows takes audiences on a raw and vulnerable journey through trauma, identity, and transformation. This debut solo work from First Nations (Bidjara/Kullali/Wakka Wakka) and Italian artist and performer Joshua Taliani, co-created with collaborator Wanida Serce, blends hip-hop, the artform of vogue, and dance theatre.

Set against the island paradise backdrop of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke), Quandamooka Festival (13th –14th of September) brings two days of cultural celebration, connection and community to life. Through cultural activities including tours, Kunjiel (corroborees), music performances, food, weaving, arts, crafts, panel discussions, First Nations' film, and more, audiences are welcomed to share in the continuing Culture of the Nughi, Nunukul, and Goenpul clans of the Quandamooka People firsthand.

Brisbane Powerhouse will see a fusion of the contemporary and classical, as renowned violinist, Véronique Serret, uses her voice for the first time in a live performance of her ARIA-nominated album, Migrating Bird on the 14th of September.

She will be joined by special guest William Barton, bringing the haunting sounds of the yidaki/didgeridoo. Then from the 18th–20th of September is TINA – A Tropical Love Story, a joyful, heartwarming tribute from drag performer Miss Ellaneous (Ben Graetz) to the indomitable spirit of rock icon Tina Turner. Through a dazzling fusion of storytelling and cabaret, this love letter to Darwin, drag, and identity will uplift and inspire.

On the 20th of September, The Great First Nations Songbook at St Lucia Serenades brings the rhythm outdoors in a free, all-ages celebration of First Nations music. Led by Adam James and The Dreamtime Swing, audiences will be serenaded by jazz legends and cultural trailblazers at The University of Queensland's scenic Dr Mary Mahoney AO Amphitheatre.

Then from the 20th of September – 5th of October, audiences can dive into Sea of Light at Queensland Museum Kurilpa. Featuring artworks by Aboriginal artist Elizabeth Close, this interactive installation invites children and families to create their own glowing sea journeys while connecting to stories of land and water.

For younger audiences and families, Bangarra's The Bogong's Song: A Call to Country (25th September – 4th October) invites children into a dreamworld of shadow puppetry, dance, and song. Created by Yolande Brown and Chenoa Deemal, this enchanting new work explores connection to Country through the eyes of a brother and sister guided by their Nan's stories.

Ms Bezzina said she is very proud of the event's 2025 First Nations program.

"I am so proud of this year's First Nations program. It's rich with talent, vision, and extraordinary storytelling. I have long admired Stephen Page, and to welcome him home with such an epic spectacle in Baleen Moondjan is a true privilege," she said.

"From the luminous magic of Skylore – Nieergoo: Spirit of the Whale to the joyful cabaret of TINA – A Tropical Love Story and the intergenerational wonder of The Bogong's Song, this program spans the epic to the intimate.

"We also welcome Adam James to St Lucia Serenades with The Great First Nations Songbook, a feel-good celebration of iconic First Nations music reimagined in joyful big-band style, and it's an honour to champion the full choreographic and performance debut of rising star Josh Taliani, the face of last year's festival and a powerful new voice in contemporary dance, with Unveiling Shadows."

Brisbane Festival is also proud to offer Mobtix for a variety of productions in our program to help lower the barriers of entry for First Nations people to engage with art.

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