Brisbane gears up for 'super weekend' of events

The Queen's birthday weekend will see Sunshine State look to build on its growing reputation as an event tourism destination.
Queensland Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey has been highlighting how Brisbane is offering visitors and locals international rugby, opera, exhibitions and horse racing over the long weekend.
Minister Stuckey explained "major events, supported by the Queensland Government, will help generate an estimated $277 million for the State this year alone."
The 2012 Brisbane Racing Carnival culminates this Saturday with the most prestigious race day on Queensland's event calendar - the AAMI Stradbroke Day.
Minister Stuckey stated "jJoining the feature race, the AAMI Stradbroke Handicap, is the Group 1 TJ Smith and Group 1 Queensland Derby, and two Group 2 races, the Brisbane Cup and Queensland Guineas.
"With so many superior group status races taking place, this is the busiest day of the carnival, with last year's event welcoming more than 18,000 punters through the gates at Eagle Farm Race Course."
On Saturday evening, large crowds of rugby fans are expected to fill Suncorp Stadium to see the Qantas Wallabies take on Wales for the opening Test of the Wales Tour.
Here Minister Stuckey adds "Saturday's Test is the first instalment of a ten year agreement with the ARU, Events Queensland, Stadiums Queensland and AEG Ogden to bring more international rugby matches to the State.
"In 2012 Queensland will host three Tests including the Castrol EDGE Wales Tour this weekend; the Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship at Skilled Park in September; and the Bledisloe Cup at Suncorp Stadium in October."
Rugby fans are invited to meet the Qantas Wallabies tomorrow at a signing session from 5-6pm at Brisbane's Queen Street Mall.
While the roar of rugby fans engulfs Suncorp Stadium, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre will stage the final performance of the Brisbane season of A Midsummer Night's Dream - one of Opera Australia's most celebrated productions.
Minister Stuckey went on to add that the Queensland Museum's Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb exhibition is attracting an average of more than 1,000 visitors daily, stating "it is the only Australian hosting of this exhibition, offering visitors the opportunity to view the virtual unwrapping of exceptionally preserved mummies using 3D imaging and medical scanning alongside more than 100 objects from ancient Egyptian civilisation."
These events join an exciting calendar of events for Brisbane including the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier next Tuesday, delectable Brisbane in July, Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado from July to November, the Hamburg Season from August to September, the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in August and the Brisbane Festival including the Santos GLNG City of Lights in September.
The Lions will play nine matches in Australia next year, including three Tests, with the second game of their visit to pit them against the Super Rugby title holders Queensland on the night of Saturday 8th June.
The opening Test of the series against the Wallabies will also be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane - the city which also hosted the first showdown between the Wallabies and Lions in 2001 - on Saturday 22nd June 2013.

http://www.eventsqld.com.au