Reimagined bridges among Brisbane Festival 2025 program offerings

Brisbane Festival 2025, running from 5th-27th September promises to be the most expansive and city-shaping program to date, in a dynamic celebration of art, culture and community. The 2025 program invites audiences to experience the city anew - from towering whale bones on the river to a world premiere dance trilogy, and bridges reimagined as vibrant works of art.

Spanning 23 days, the expansive 2025 program brings together 2,260 artists across 106 productions and 1,069 performances, including 21 world premieres, reaffirming the festival’s place as a defining event on the national cultural calendar. Significantly, over 39% of the program will be offered free to the public, reflecting an ongoing commitment to accessibility and bringing world-class art and performance to every corner of the city.

This year’s festival 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 last 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.

The most striking reflection of this spirit comes in the form of a major new commission from Brisbane's own Craig & Karl, the globally renowned art and design visionaries who return home with their largest and most ambitious project to date. For ANZ’s Walk This Way by Craig & Karl, the duo will transform three of Brisbane’s most prominent pedestrian bridges — the Neville Bonner Bridge, the Goodwill Bridge, and the new Kangaroo Point Bridge — into vibrant, large-scale artistic interventions. A citywide public art trail will extend the experience across renowned sites, inviting audiences to cross the bridges, follow the trail, and see Brisbane through an artist’s eyes. Their homecoming continues with Craig & Karl: Double Vision, a dynamic exhibition presented in partnership with Griffith University’s Art Museum, where the duo first met three decades ago. The exhibition celebrates their local roots, global influence, and signature visual language.

Artistic Director Louise Bezzina notes “this year’s program is a love letter to Brisbane — bold, joyful, and created with and for the city. My final festival is a celebration of everything Brisbane Festival has become: a world-class event with a fiercely local heart. From world premieres to deeply resonant community works, this year’s program is ambitious in scale and grounded in storytelling, deeply connected to the people and places that make this city so special. As the city comes alive this September, I welcome everyone to take their place in the story.”

Minister for Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the 2025 Brisbane Festival will platform the extraordinary talents of Queensland artists and arts companies alongside outstanding international work.

Minister Langbroek advised “This year, we have focused on funding free community-based events to make sure all Queenslanders have access to this spectacular program of bold, colourful, and creative arts experiences.

“Congratulations to Louise Bezzina and Charlie Cush, who have played a pivotal role in growing Queensland’s cultural reputation in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

See the full program, subscribe for updates and purchase tickets at brisbanefestival.com.au.

Image. ANZ's Walk This Way by Craig & Karl. Animation by Dirty Puppet, photography by Jared Hinz