Thanks to a playlist of music festivals as big as the LPs sold at Rocking Horse (an independent music retailer and incidentally the second biggest record store in the country), the opening of new live venues in the city's heartland and a hotbed of home-grown artists raised under the blaze of a Brisbane summer (we're looking at you Savage Garden and Shepherd), the city is tuning to its DNA to help remix its cultural brand.
So grab some cheap flights with Tiger or Jetstar, grab a Brisbane car rental and get ready to tune in to some cool tunes!
Fortitude Music Hall
Brisbane's long-awaited A$40 million ($27.6 million) live music venue Fortitude Music Hall opened its doors to the public July 26, earning the city the title as having the nation's best live music venue in the heart of Australia's best live-music precinct. The 3000 capacity venue is a joint venture by Live Nation, former Powderfinger manager Paul Pittico and bassist John Collins and builder Scott Hutchinson. The art deco designed building – which can be used for a variety of purposes from music to gala events, comedy and dinner shows - adds an important lineup to Brisbane's live music venues which also include the 800-capacity The Triffid, the 9,000 space Riverstage and the Convention Centre. The Music Hall incorporates the 300 seats The Outpost set up for young musicians and new acts. There are five bars scattered throughout the venue. Check it out: https://thefortitude.com.au/
The Tivoli
An intimate entertainment space What's Golden (at The Tivoli Theatre) will open its doors on August 27 2019, boasting a program of various shows from across the globe. The brand-new 250-person standing capacity performance space with custom-built stage will sit within The Tivoli's central foyer, complementing the main auditorium of the iconic Fortitude Valley venue.