Things To Do In Brisbane

Brisbane’s first and only fully transparent event space is coming to Roma Street Parkland this year. 

Expect fire-breathing, acrobatics, and classy cabaret numbers at this new theatre.

If you’re familiar with the underground DJ scene in Brisbane you've probably stumbled upon this musical hub, which combines an DJ and production school, live-streaming DJ space and laneway bar. Proudly queer-owned, Hollee and Dara opened the iconic venue at the end of 2022 as an extension of their online forum and streaming hub next door, giving local musicians a new realm of possibilities and support in the local and online community.

Home to just about every kind of entertainment under the sun, Kingpin Chermside is the place to while away an entire day, hopping from one epic activity to another. You want to go ten-pin bowling with the crew? You’ve got it. Keen to let out some steam on a laser tag course? You can do that too. Arcade games, table tennis and virtual reality games? They’ve got them all—you can even book in for a karaoke session in one of their private rooms, and hit the fully licensed bar for a bite to eat when you get peckish (and a drink of course). 

Axe throwing. It's as simple as it sounds. Basically, you hurl a hatchet at a wooden wall with all your might, channelling some kind of hectic Viking lord. And now you can let off steam by chucking an axe right in the heart of the CBD—hello, post-work therapy session. 

Calling all wannabe Picassos and lovers of a good old fashion party—a new entertainment venue has opened up in the heart of Milton, with activities to tickle everyone’s paintbrush. Bringing paint and sip with a twist to Brisbane, Paint  Juicy is a new entertainment hub with activities to suit everyone, including inclusive paint and sips for any skill level (with a bottomless brunch option), nude models for those wanting to work on their still life portrait skills and drag queen shows galore. The party doesn’t stop at Paint Juicy, with banging tunes throughout your sessions to help get those creative juices flowing. Paint Juicy is the perfect space to explore your artistic side with your friends, and maybe even meet some new ones...

Holey Moley, the cult-like chip-and-putt that’s taken the country by storm is coming to Chermside on 18 November and we've never been more excited to grab a set of clubs. This crazy 18-hole mini golf course is joining Westfield Chermside's entertainment and leisure precinct, and will feature several brand new holes developed just for the new venue, including Surfs Ups, Dart Board, Moonshot, and the Mini Sonic Loophole. A few Holey Moley favourites will also make an appearance, like Simpsons Evergreen Terrace and Flintstones Bedrock n Roll. 

This one goes out to all True Crime podcast lovers—if you have a penchant for solving mysteries and piecing together clues, we’ve found your new favourite pastime. 

One of Queensland’s first ‘alternative art spaces,’ The Institute of Modern Art(IMA) in Fortitude Valley is for those who prefer their art a little more experimental. Home to some seriously cutting edge exhibitions, this is where you’ll experience art like you’ve never seen before—we’re talking video installations, large scale sculptures and compelling exhibits from emerging artists. Sound like your jam? Get down there.

Although only two kilometres from the city, you’ll feel a world away from the rush of Brisbane at Victoria Park's Bistro. Situated right next to the Victoria Park Parklands with stunning views of the city skyline, it's not hard to stick around and soak up the lush green surroundings. 

Everyone loves a paint and sip, but we just can’t put our finger on what makes them so great. Is it the joy we get from watching our friends struggle to paint a horizontal line? The glass of wine in one hand and paintbrush in the other, allowing full creativity to run wild? Or is it the final product that we get to take home? Probably not the latter, but if you too love a paint and sip night, Pinot & Picasso have conveniently opened up a studio in Fortitude Valley, right on Ann Street, perfect for some pre-dinner creativity, or to load up on your BYO drinks before hitting the bars.

Bulimba paint and sip studio Rose Soiree knows the importance of having a good backdrop for your post-painting session Instagram shot—so they've gone and painted their whole studio pastel pink, and added a bright neon sign or two for good measure. The paintings you'll take home look as good as the studio too, from your classic florals to flamingos and monsteras, all of them bright, vibrant and perfect for your bedroom wall. 

Hailed as Europe’s best escape rooms, Fox in a Box opened its first location in Vienna in 2013. Since then, Fox has opened over 30 locations in four different continents and set a universal standard for escape rooms as a concept, with high tech systems and brilliant puzzles. 

Named after one of the Scenic Rim’s most treasured waterfalls, you’ll find Witches Falls Winery tucked away in the heart of Mt Tamborine. Wines are made on-site with fruit sourced from the Granite Belt, whose cool climate mirrors the growing conditions of the Northern Rhone in France. Fruit from the Granite Belt is known for producing world-class wines, so good luck putting down your glass. 

It's in their name so you know there is slim chance of getting out of one of Puzzled's escape rooms without giving the head a good scratch. With a group of between two and six players, you can try and get to the bottom of a missing professor in ‘Mirrored’, escape being the subjects of a devious experiment in ‘Monkey Run’, or find the cure in ‘Dr Irov’s Laboratory’. For larger groups, Puzzled even offer a special Battle Mode that will split the group and pit two teams against each other with opportunities to directly thwart each others’ mission. This option is ideal for up to 12 players so jot this one down for the Christmas party.

Taking over the heritage building on Constance Street that once housed The Mill, Oche is a high tech darts bar that originated in Norway but has now come to Australia. Their electronic gamification of traditional dartboards mean you don’t need to keep track of your points with an old school chalkboard—it’s all scored for you automatically, with dozens of games to choose from for a massive night of fun.

As the self-proclaimed best karaoke in Brisbane, Cloud 8 is kicking your Sing Star routine up a notch. With no less than 14 rooms, all of them themed differently, you can karaoke in private with  up to 40 of your closest friends, though there are rooms for anwhere from 8–25 if you're not quite up to singing in front of that many people.

Run by award-winnning chef Mel Alafaci, Vanilla Zulu is a budding chef's one-stop shop for learning everything there is to know about cooking. With a focus on creating fresh, fast and simply delicious meals, you'll leave Vanilla Zulu raring to get back into the kitchen. 

Picture this: Dozens of interconnected trampolines, an epic parkour course, climbing walls, ninja course, indoor ski slope and a dodgeball court. Does it look like something from your childhood dreams? We’re going to guess the answer is yes.

Tucked away in the leafy streets of New Farm sits the stunning art deco-inspired Queenslander, Spicers Balfour. Fringed by luscious, perfumed frangipanis, and decked out with incredibly stylish decor, Spicers Balfour is all class.