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Brisbane Nightlife and Entertainment

The city’s entertainment horizons consist of an ever-fluctuating range of clubs, and a sound, if unadventurous, arts scene. The best cross-section of attractions are north of the river in Petrie Terrace - upmarket yet subdued - and in Fortitude Valley , which throbs with the nightclub crowd. South Brisbane and the West End are more down-to-earth.

Pubs Clubs and live Music

Brisbane nights were once a byword for boredom: the few places that offered after-dark entertainment were either illegal or lifeless and closed early, and locals headed to the coast for their weekends. Things have changed, however, and Brisbane has seen a recent explosion of home-grown musical talent, with bands such as Savage Garden, Regurgitator, Custard and Powderfinger putting the city firmly on the Australian pop-culture map. On Friday and Saturday evening the centre is crowded, but the big push is out to the clubs, bars and restaurants (many with quality entertainment) of a reinvented and revamped Fortitude Valley. Live music venues, however, are on the decline and tend to open and close in the blinking of an eye; places listed on this website might be here to stay, but check with music stores such as Rocking Horse, 101 Adelaide St, or weekly free magazines for up-to-the-minute reviews and listings : RM and Time Off for rock and live bands, and The Scene for dance. The webzine www.brisbanetribe.com covers the same, plus restaurants and gay venues . There’s no standard charge for club entry, and many places offer free nights and special deals.

Films and Theatre

Compared with the rest of the state, which tends to get only mainstream commercial successes, Brisbane has a varied programme of films. The Dendy, 346 George St (tel 07/3211 3244), Palace Centro, 39 James St, Fortitude Valley (tel 07/3852 4488), Schonell, University of Queensland, St Lucia (tel 07/3321 7690) and Village Twin, on corner of Brunswick and Annie streets (tel 07/3358 2021), all show contemporary and vintage foreign-language and “offbeat” films. Even the multiscreen Hoyts cinema (tel 07/3229 5544), under the Myer Centre, and the luxurious Regent (tel 07/3229 5544) further down the mall, are worth checking for unexpected offerings, as is the State Library (tel 07/3840 7811). In August the Brisbane International Film Festival is in town with a bundle of goodies from around the world shown over a week - contact one of the cinemas for details.

Big theatrical productions are staged at the Performing Arts Complex (tel 13 6246) on the South Bank in the Concert Hall, Optus Playhouse (home of the Queensland Theatre Company), Cremorne, or Lyric theatres; look out for lower-key lunchtime performances, workshops and foyer exhibitions. The University of Queensland’s Cement Box Theatre, over the river at their St Lucia campus (tel 07/3377 2240), offers more down-to-earth repertory fare, and there’s also a new venue in town at the Powerhouse , on the river next to New Farm Park in eastern Brisbane. A former power station, this once derelict building opened in May 2001 as a centre for the performing arts, including the long-established La Boite Theatre and Vulcana Womens’ Circus. Contact information outlets for performance details.

Drinks for Women

Though Australian pubs tend towards being all-male enclaves, women were once legally barred to “protect” them from the corrupting influence of foul language. On April 1, 1965, Merle Thornton (mother of the actress Sigrid Thornton) and her friend Rosalie Bogner chained themselves to the footrail of the Regatta Hotel bar at Toowong in protest; the movement they inspired led to the granting of “the right to drink alongside men” in the mid-1970s. The pink-and-white colonial hotel is now a trendy place for a drink after work on Friday. It’s on the west bank of the river along Coronation Drive, about 2km from the city centre towards St Lucia.

Activities

Queensland’s sporting obsession revolves around rugby league , though the Brisbane Broncos have lost their edge a little since their glory days in the early 1990s. Their stomping ground is at the ANZ Stadium, west of the city, and the event of the year is the State of Origin series in May or June. Cricket matches are played at “The Gabba”, Vulture St, and the Queensland Reds rugby union team play at Ballymore oval. Tickets are usually easy to get at the games.

For something more hands on, you can spend the day rock-climbing outside the city for $48 with the Spicy Tomato Tour Company (tel 0414 866 286, www.spicytomato.com.au ), who lay on an evening of free beer afterwards. For sailing , A B Sea Sailing School, a thirty-minute train ride from the city at Manly (tel 07/3396 3994), runs one- to eight-day certified training courses aboard their cruise/racer Red Rizla , while Bay Dolphin (tel 07/3207 9620) offers a full-day sailing between the mainland and North Stradbroke Island for $75. Surfing trips are covered by Dust Tours (free call tel 1800 111 262, www.surftours.com.au ), who offer all-inclusive Weekend Wipeouts ($199) and four-day surf safaris ($299) for everyone from complete novices upwards.

Finally, for some plain Aussie weirdness, head west of town to the Australian Woolshed at 148 Samford Rd, Ferny Hills (tel 07/3351 5366), where you can watch a highly polished performance including trained sheep (a rarity in itself), a shearing demonstration, morning tea and sheepdogs putting startled flocks through their paces. Shows start at 8am, 9.30am, 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm, and entry is $15.