Open Season Returns For 2023 Boasting Major International Names

Major Meanjin/Brisbane festival Open Season returns for an incredible 2023 event that features a range of incredible domestic acts and, for the first time, some major international names. 

Presented by The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre, the entire program spans from Saturday, May 27, to Friday, August 25th and hopes to unite the community of Meanjin and inject a wealth of arts back into the city.  

Open Season will welcome international acts such as UK punk icons The Damned, cult Belarus post-punk synth-pop trio Molchat Doma, renowned songstresses Kimbra (NZ) and Weyes Blood (USA), and British punk-hop duo Sleaford Mods.

PNG-born, Australian-raised singer Ngaiire will partner with Queensland Symphony Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of symphonic soul at The Princess Theatre.

Don't fret; the Aussie locals joining the international crew will get you just as excited, with funk favourites Winston Surfshirt and emerging legends King Stingray, as well as Lastlings, Middle Kids, Full Flower Moon Band, First Beige, Gordi and Coterie all taking to the stage over the next few months. 

As well as that long list of stellar artists, Open Season will also include three flagship projects that will round out this unbeatable program. 

Presented in partnership with Blak Social, Blak Day Out takes over The Tivoli with some of Brisbane’s best and brightest First Nations artists, including Birdz, Alf the Great, The Last Kinection and CLOE TERARE.

The Tivoli will also collaborate with Harry K Productions (Fluffy) on The Glam Awards, Brisbane’s newest dedicated queer performing arts awards and club night featuring a lineup of Australia’s finest drag and queer performers.

Wrapping the program is Open Season’s closing night party-with-a-purpose: A Night For The Queen, an energetic collaboration between Polytoxic, Hot Brown Honey and some of Brisbane’s finest female cabaret, circus and music performers. This event is a “Royal F*uck You to Cancer” - a special night of healing and celebration dedicated to prolific Brisbane-based performer Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers.

The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre co-owner Dave Sleswick notes that Open Season was created to counter COVID cancellations, staging 80 performances, employing 570 artists and paying almost half a million in artist fees between 2020 and 2022.

“Brisbane tends to hibernate over winter, and we wanted to create a contemporary, curated music-led program that gives audiences something awesome and new over what is traditionally a quiet time of year,” Sleswick said.

“Even as Open Season grows and takes its place alongside Australia’s big winter festivals and cultural events in the southern states, it will always retain that grungy, grassroots and artist-led philosophy upon which it was founded”

“Brisbane is very much at the heart of Open Season, both for audiences and artists, and we demonstrate our commitment to this philosophy by programming great local talent and bringing huge international artists to the city so Brisbane has everything it needs right on its doorstep. Open Season will feature over 30 performances across a variety of music and performing arts genres."

Find out more information about each event and purchase tickets here. 

OPEN SEASON – THE PRINCESS THEATRE

Northeast Party House | Sat 27 May

Kimbra | Wed 31 May

Winston Surfshirt | Fri 2 June

Weyes Blood | Sat 3 June

Sleaford Mod | Tue 6 June

The Damned | Wed 7 June

Coterie | Sat 10 June

Molchat Doma | Thur 15 June

Middle Kids | Fri 16 June

Lastlings | Sat 1 July

Oneohtrix Point Never | Sat 15 July

Tourist | Fri 28 July

Ngaiire & Queensland Symphony Orchestra | Fri 4 August

Set Roulette |  Sat 5 August

Full Flower Moon Band | Fri 11 August

First Beige & Special Guests | Sat 19 August

Gordi | Thur 24 August

OPEN SEASON – THE TIVOLI

Thundercat | Wed 7 June

King Stingray | Fri 7 June

Blak Day Out ft. Birdz | Sun 16 July

The Glam Awards | Sat 19 August

A Night For The Queen: A Royal F You to Cancer | Fri 25 August