One-Night Menus, Gigs and Must-See Events: Exclusive Experiences in Brisbane This Winter

The cooler months in Brisbane are often when the social calendar starts to heat up, with food festivals, live music and art shows popping up all around town. Whether it’s a whisky tasting, a long lunch or a gig by an artist you’ve never heard of, winter’s one-off events are the perfect excuse to explore new places and interests.

With so much going on, calendar clashes are inevitable unless you plan ahead. To help avoid disappointment, we’ve made a list of seven essential events across South East Queensland this winter.

Park & Cove x Louis Tikaram, Spencer Patrick, Telina Menzies, Darren Purchese

Head up to the Sunshine Coast for this globetrotting five-course lunch on June 12. Part of the revamped Noosa Food and Wine Festival, it sees each course made by a different top-flight chef, with wines to match. In the kitchen are Louis Tikaram of Brisbane’s Stanley, pastry chef and Great Australian Bake Off judge Darren Purchese, Spencer Patrick from Harrisons in Port Douglas, Telina Menzies of the Espy in Melbourne, and Andrea Ravezzani from Park & Cove at Peppers Noosa. Each chef will serve a dish from a different part of the world, so you can give your tastebuds a holiday without leaving the table.

Dami Im – Stormy Weather

The X Factor winner and powerhouse pop performer Dami Im heads in a different direction with her new jazz-focused EP, Stormy Weather. To mark its launch, the singer is returning to her Australian home town with an intimate set featuring jazz standards and new compositions. Right on the river at the recently refurbished Brisbane Jazz Club, these gigs are an opportunity to see a stripped-back, more personal performance from an artist at the top of her game. Tickets are selling fast, but Im is playing three shows across June 18, 19 and 20, so you’ve got two extra chances to score seats.

Whisky Whisky 2026

There’s no drinks expo quite like Whisky Whisky. Rather than setting up in a drab convention hall, the annual show transforms Fish Lane in South Brisbane, with stalls and stages set up beneath the elevated train tracks, showcasing more than 100 different whiskies from Australia and around the world. In its fifth edition this year, taking place on Saturday July 11, Whisky Whisky now includes the option to buy a deluxe ticket that comes with a bottle of single-malt Scotch blended, bottled and branded exclusively for the event. As usual, a regular ticket gets you a tasting glass, lunch by Fish Lane’s Hello Please, and the freedom to taste the vast majority of whiskies on display. You’ll also receive a token to taste one of the “dream drams” on offer – the kind of rare bottles you might encounter once or twice in a lifetime.

Mono 61

Curated by local sound art luminary Lawrence English, the Institute of Modern Art’s Mono live music program brings avant-garde and experimental musicians together for one-off, after-hours gigs inside the gallery. The line-up for the July 22 show features LA-based Canadian American Claire Rousay and Melburnian Peter Knight. Rousay blends field recordings, drones and vocals into intricate ambient compositions, while Knight is a composer, sound artist and trumpeter known for his work with the Australian Art Orchestra. Head to the IMA’s ground-floor gallery to see the two perform among the artworks after dark.

Pub Choir

The Brisbane-born group singing project run by Astrid Jorgensen has toured the world multiple times and even ended up on America’s Got Talent. Pub Choir is back on the road this winter with a new Australia and New Zealand tour. Tickets for the Brisbane show at The Tivoli have already sold out, but you can still join the waitlist in case more are released. Over the course of two hours, Jorgensen turns an entire crowd into an amateur choir, splitting them into groups and teaching each one a different part of a popular song. There’s nothing like the feeling when you put it all together and belt out a hit like Toto’s Africa with a huge group of strangers. While plenty of Brisbanites are repeat Pub Choir singers, don’t be intimidated if it’s your first time; each tour features a different song, so everyone starts from scratch.

Better Off Red – A Long Lunch of Indulgence

Night Feast is moving into the daytime with its new long lunch at Brisbane Powerhouse on August 16. The red-themed feast is a collaboration between two of Brisbane’s boldest restaurants: Bosco in Newstead and Blackbird in the CBD. While the final menu is yet to be announced, we’re betting Blackbird will bring its tender Angus rib-eye steaks, while Bosco’s woodfired, Mediterranean-influenced dishes will make excellent entrees. We’re especially hoping for a plate of Bosco’s flatbread Gildas. There’ll also be cocktails and wine (red, naturally), along with a secret program of live performances to accompany your meal.

Bigsound

By day, Bigsound is one of Australia’s major music industry conferences, but at night it becomes Fortitude Valley’s biggest music festival. With so many breakout artists in town for the four-day event (September 1 to 4), each night sees Valley venues play host to dozens of gigs, featuring unexpected collaborations and under-the-radar acts. Although the festival program for 2026 hasn’t been announced yet, you’ll want to keep your evenings free and an eye on the website. Previous years have featured the likes of Courtney Barnett, Flume and Thelma Plum when they were just getting started. It’s your chance to discover a new favourite artist before they become a household name.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Asahi Super Dry, for audiences 18-plus only. Please drink responsibly.