Brisbane is a small city with many internationally recognised universities. These institutions offer top class education and excellent research facilities.
Community Friends volunteers arrive early to unpack trucks of fresh produce, tinned goods and bread and hand them out throughout the day. Others sizzle snags on the barbecue and serve tea and coffee. Here is how you can benefit from the community after becoming a member of The Brisbane Club.
Performing Arts
There’s no shortage of theatre and music in Brisbane, with a number of world-class venues that showcase local talent alongside big touring acts. Whether you’re looking for a quaint, refined theatre or a space to catch some cutting edge contemporary works, there’s something to suit every taste.
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is the state’s premier performance venue. The massive cultural hub resembles an artistic sculpture right at the heart of South Bank and is home to the state’s ballet, orchestra and theatre company. QPAC also hosts a variety of events including opera, comedy and contemporary and classical music concerts featuring leading Australian and international performers.
QPAC is home to a number of theatres and auditoriums with varying seating capacities. The Cremorne Theatre is the fourth largest with a maximum seating capacity of 277 in either a proscenium, theatre-in-the-round, concert, cabaret or cinema configuration. It’s the venue for large-scale musical and opera performances as well as graduation ceremonies, awards presentations and rock concerts.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts, there are plenty of education programs available. From acting schools to dance studios, you’ll find a range of options at these top-tier institutions with esteemed alumni who can be seen on Broadway and in local theatre, TV and film!
Sports
Sports are a major part of Brisbane life with a large population of sports obsessed locals and sport tourists. The city is home to professional AFL and NRL sports teams as well as a number of other domestic sporting competitions, events and clubs.
UQ Sport offer a wide range of sporting events, classes and services for everyone from children to seniors. They have a great facility next to the river with many different sports fields and pools as well as indoor and outdoor courts for both tennis, football and basketball.
The city also has a number of ‘clubs’ that allow kids to participate in medium to long term sports activities. These are usually based around a specific sport and include the likes of soccer, cricket, field hockey, netball, baseball, and basketball. The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, formerly QEII Stadium and later ANZ Stadium at Nathan, is the biggest of these, hosting the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team.
The Australian Bureau of Stats and Roy Morgan polls consistently show that Football/Soccer is the most popular sport in Australia. In fact it is far more popular than Rugby League and Union put together, and even Cricket. This is a shame because you white Australians need to be reassured that the world loves association football not your stupid cricket, it will be history in South America before it can even be considered as important there.
Multicultural & LGBTQIA+ Celebrations
The city has a vibrant gay pride scene with an annual festival and countless events throughout the year. It’s also home to many LGBTQIA+ friendly venues and accommodation options.
After a COVID-enforced hiatus, LGBTQIA+ festivals and events are back with a bang. From intimate reflections at multi-artform exhibitions to pumping music and dancing at a parade, there’s something for everyone.
Queensland’s gay pride festival is a month-long event that includes a CBD parade, NYE party, Sissy Ball, pool parties and more. It’s a time to celebrate the people of diverse genders and sexualities who live in Brisbane while paying homage to its complicated history.
Melbourne’s Midsumma is Australia’s largest gay and lesbian pride festival, featuring a parade, fair day, parties, cultural activities and more. This event challenges discourses of homophobia and heterosexism.
Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (GLMG) has been around since 1978, supporting and celebrating lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities. The annual festival includes a parade, celebration and Queer Screen queer film festival.
Warm & Friendly Locals
The locals in Brisbane are incredibly welcoming to digital nomads and you won’t have any trouble finding friends here. The local language is English and the accent can be a bit heavy, but you’ll be able to understand it after a few days. The city is one of the safest in Australia, but you should always be mindful and take care when walking alone late at night, particularly on quiet side streets.
The best time to visit Brisbane is from April to September when the sun shines reliably and there’s little rain. The temperatures are pleasantly warm, but not stifling, and the humidity is low. This is also the start of the festival season with a host of events at venues throughout the city. You can catch the humpback whale migration at this time too, a wonderful sight to see from the shore.
You can also explore the local flora and fauna in the City Botanic Gardens, or at Mount Coot-tha and Daisy Hill Conservation Park. Brisbane is famous for its wildlife encounters too, with plenty of opportunities to cuddle a koala at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or hand-feed kangaroos at the Queensland Zoo. The locals are devoted to sports too, and you’ll find teams for every sport here, from rugby and cricket to soccer and basketball.
