Nine Brisbane Musicals and Live Theatre Shows To Book in 2026

There’s nothing quite like a night at the theatre. And luckily for us, Brisbane has a bunch of epic productions slated for 2026. From La Boite’s original offerings to new interpretations of classic musicals and productions by international heavyweights, the stage is set.

Mark your calendars. Book your tickets. And get ready for a packed year of performing arts.

Antigone 

How does an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles in 440 BC play in contemporary theatre? If you ask La Boite’s Courtney Stewart and Nigel Poulton, the story of Antigone is as relevant today as it ever was. Starring Maddison Burridge, their interpretation centres on a fearless young woman who refuses to stay silent. The play explores themes of protest, conscience and defiance. You’ll be left asking: Who gets to decide what is just? Where does loyalty lie? And what price are we prepared to pay for the truth?

Antigone runs from March 5 to 21 at La Boite Theatre. Tickets are available online.

Art

Richard Roxburgh (Rake, The Correspondent, Elvis), Damon Herriman (Better Man, Mr Inbetween, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Ryan Corr (House of the Dragon, Holding the Man, Kangaroo) unite on stage to bring French play Art to Australian stages. It’s a comedy about friendship, ego and the chaos that a single opinion can cause – the production is lauded for its biting wit and pitch-perfect timing.

Art runs from March 11 to 22 at Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available online.

The Last Ship

Musical icon Sting is the writer, composer and star of The Last Ship – a theatrical tribute to the people and the place that shaped his childhood in Wallsend, UK. Sting gets personal playing the leading role of Jackie White. The story explores what happens when a shipyard closes in a small community. The score features original arrangements, as well as songs borrowed from his back catalogue.

The Last Ship runs from April 9 to May 3 at Glasshouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available online.

The Sapphires

The Sapphires by Tony Briggs is back. The latest production of this iconic play features next-gen First Nations stars, including Aurora Liddle-Christie and Taeg Twist, and is directed by former Queensland Theatre Company artistic director Wesley Enoch. There’s still plenty of sequins and a soundtrack to match the story’s ’60s mood – even if you’ve seen it on screen, it’s worth checking it out again.

The Sapphires runs from April 28 to May 24 at Bille Brown Theatre. Tickets are available online.

Steel Magnolias

Director Lee Lewis (Prima Facie, The Bleeding Tree, Rice) is reviving Steel Magnolias for a 2026 audience. Heavy on sass and Southern charm, the production plays out in Truvy’s beauty salon, as six women share in the highs and lows of life. The cast is yet to be confirmed, but is tipped to include some powerhouse Aussie actresses. It’s a reminder of the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

 Steel Magnolias runs from April 30 to May 10 at Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available online.

Eat Slay Zombie

Described as “a darkly comic First Nations work,” Eat Slay Zombie is brought to life by playwright, multidisciplinary artist and Githabul–Migunberri–Yugumbeh woman Alinta McGrady, alongside co-director Lisa Fa’alafi. Turning a zombie apocalypse into a story of friendship, resistance and found family is no easy feat, but somehow these two manage it. The play takes place in a world where Tiktok is the only form of communication, and follows the story of two Blak women navigating a doomsday reality, bunking down in a bowling alley without even a flamethrower.

Eat Slay Zombie runs from May 14 to 30 at La Boite Theatre. Tickets are available online.

Pride & Prejudice

Queensland Theatre Company’s retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is returning for a second season. Elizabeth Bennet is once again at odds with her husband-hunting sisters and dithery mother as she seeks to find her own path in life. The talented Queensland cast includes Gael Ballantyne, Maddison Burridge, William Carseldine, Courtney Cavallaro, Daphne Chenl, Chenoa Deemal and more. The creative team – co-adaptors Wendy Mocke and Lewis Treston and co-directors Bridget Boyle and Daniel Evans – had the audience on their feet in 2025, and their second spin around the block is set to be just as good.

Pride & Prejudice runs from July 10 to 26 at Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available online.

Strong is the New Pretty

Suzie Miller – the mastermind behind RBG: Of Many, One and Prima Facie – explores the world of the AFLW in this premiere production. In Strong is the New Pretty, Miller tells the story of the people who took the Aussie Rules women’s league from pipe dream to reality. Directed by Lee Lewis, the cast includes Sheridan Harbridge, Lucy Bell and Amy Ingram. Not just for footy fans, this play is an exploration of determination, legacy and pride.

Strong is the New Pretty runs from September 1 to 19 at Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available online.

Koreaboo

Actor-turned-playwright Michelle Lim Davidson (The Feather in the Web, The Newsreader) leaves it all on the stage in this deeply personal, funny and moving production, which explores themes of identity, belonging and the search for family. Davidson tells the story of Hannah, who was adopted from Korea by Australian parents, as she returns to Seoul to meet her birth mother. A reunion story powered by Google Translate, K-Pop and kimchi, Koreaboo was originally produced in 2025 by Sydney’s Griffin Theatre Company at Belvoir St Theatre.

Koreaboo runs from September 2 to 19 at La Boite Theatre. Tickets are available online.