Brisbane Festival 2022 LGBTQIA+ Highlights

Brisbane Festival is back and bigger than ever. For the month of September, the Brisbane Festival is painting the town pink with art installations, performances, and family entertainment. Among the festivities this year are an array of LGBTQIA+ focused performances and events that are not to be missed.

For lovers of the theatre, Shannon Molloy’s coming of age story Fourteen is coming to the stage of QPAC until September 17th. The play, is based on Molloy’s own memoir about his experience being closeted at a Catholic all-boys school in 1999. Following Shannon’s journey through the school-year, the audience is immersed in the trials and tribulations of being a gay teen in the 90s. Filled with a mix of tragedy and hope, of betrayal and loyalty, and with a soundtrack straight from the 90s, Fourteen is a must-see show. Be sure to act quickly and book now before tickets sell out!

Another performance exploring queer identity in a different way is the dance-meets-comedy-meets-cabaret show Considerable Sexual License, showing at the Brisbane Powerhouse until September 17th. Led by Wiradjuri man Joel Bray, the show presents a history of sensuality in Australia in what the Sydney Morning Herald has called a “radical act of queer remembering.” Tickets are available now, so don’t miss out!

Offering a more immersive experience, The Alexander Ball takes place at The Tivoli on September 24th. Hosted by The House of Alexander – Meanjin’s premier ballroom house – The Alexander Ball offers hours of runway, costumes, and drama. Continuing the legacy of the ballroom subculture, The Alexander Ball forefronts the voices and talent of trans women of colour. Hear more from House of Alexander founders Ella Ganza and Joshua Taliana about the history of ballroom and their mission to empower the queer BIPOC community in the Brisbane Festival’s official podcast. Tickets to The Alexander Ball are available here.

If you can’t make it to The Alexander Ball, consider attending The House of Alexander’s evocative performance The House, showing from September 13th to 15th in the BOQ Festival Garden. With a focus on cultural tradition, The House explores the heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific in conjunction with the history of queer liberation and ballroom. Book tickets now to ensure you don’t miss out on this celebration of culture.

From theatre to dance to ballroom, this year’s Brisbane Festival places LGBTQIA+ stories in the spotlight. For a full list of what’s on at the 2022 Brisbane Festival, click here.