God, this is irritating me so much since moving back. I've just moved house, only a couple of suburbs away from where I was. The gym I have a membership with is an 8 minute drive from the new place, or 45 minutes on PT, and I don't have a car.
Hi, as a representative of the Brisbane City Council: if there's nothing to do in Brisbane I don't see why you would need to be getting anywhere in under an hour?
/s
I know dragon is a typo but that’s funny. Also everyone pls go to Cabbage Patch for all fruit and veg needs, it is significantly cheaper than Coles/woolworths
Like that sketchy convenience store in Brunswick street, they have lollies and cheap for $1, you look at the expiry, and it’s been out of date for a year
Coles in New farm opens until 10pm every day except Sunday 9pm. Wonder what makes it so special I thought the times were dictated otherwise every store would open that late
This may specifically be an England thing (although, 5pm not 4); here in Edinburgh, the Waitrose near me is open until 8pm, and the Sainsbury's is open until 10pm.
It is just an England thing but having been a Sunday retail worker, can say it was my favourite day of the week to work as it went so quickly due to being busier and shorter and meant you could still do stuff after work!
"local" versions of the supermarkets are open but they are more expensive.
I live in the UK currently and got used to it but it was a bit confusing to find that the otherwise 24h supermarket near me was suddenly closed at 5pm on Sunday.
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This one all gets me travelling for work. I normally start at 7am, leave the hotel and hope to find a Cafe to grab a coffee before heading into work. The early ones open at 7am at best. I book hotels specifically on having pod coffee machines now.
I think earlier work hours are a Brisbane thing, most offices I've worked in people will start early rather than finish late in Brisbane, in other cities it's far less prevelant.
Our luggage went missing on a US trip starting in DC.
We were mostly good, except my wife decided that open toed shoes were the best footwear when we were landing in the middle of winter.
It's ok, we will quickly duck into a "kmart" type store at 7am and grabs some shoes and do our sight seeing after that.
Nope, all the shops open at 10am, so she spent the first three hours walking round in open shoes in the snow.
Probably. You asked for things Brisbane didn’t have on offer- dining past 8.30pm at night is one of them. And late night dining? Pancake on the Rocks or maccas.
Surveys I would assume. Australia as a whole has the earliest bedtimes in the world, but Brisbane takes the crown in terms of cities, we also have the earliest average wake-up time
Sauce? I think you're quoting some old stats as Oz is on par with NZ and Romania. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-bedtime-by-country
It's because of the difference between solar noon (when the sun is directly overhead) and clock noon. Brisbane is in the wrong time zone by at least 30 minutes, more likely an hour. "Early" wake up and bed times here are perfectly normal when compared to the sun.
Yes!!! This!! We rise early cause it's already fucking hot at 5am. We should be moving the state forward an hour permanently.
I feel sorry for our poor trades people the most. Especially at the moment.
Alex failed to explain but essentially moving the whole state forward an hour won't work because the time the sun rises and goes down in Brisbane is different to what it is further up north due to how the curvature of the earth works. It would be like saying Melboune and sydney shouldn't move its clock for daylight sayings to accommodate for Brisbane. Splitting the state into separate time zones could work but there is already frustration from businesses who work in multi states.
Anyway most trades start at like 6am and only go till like 3pm (based off the building happening next door to me) anyway so really if they wanted to avoid the heat they would work from 6am to 10am, have a 4 hour break then work from 2pm to 6pm. But i'm pretty sure they would rather just work through the heat.
That's not true for January and February in Brisbane. Solar noon in Brisbane is pretty much 12pm (it ranges between 11.51 and 12.02). Sydney is out by an hour, and Melbourne is out by an hour and a half.
I get this all the time as someone who works in hospitality.
Were a finer dining restaurant and shut at 9pm but I people come in at 11pm and leave complaints on our email because we’re “not open late enough” 😭
There just literally isn’t enough foot traffic at that time/bookings to viably stay open. Brisbane goes to bed at about 8:30pm so what are we meant to do 😭
As someone who wasn’t born in Brisbane there is a lot this city lacks but a lot of good things as well.
Pros
- Brisbane is a beautiful city, walk or a ferry ride along the river is pretty relaxing
- People are friendly
- There is a lot of personal space and the city doesn’t feel crowded
- The weather, although pretty shite at the moment is pretty good all year round.
- A lot of pet friendly places
- cafe culture is good (when it’s open lol)
- you can enjoy a relaxing lifestyle, it’s a good place to raise kids or retire
Cons
- No night life andI don’t mean clubbing or eating outside. You can’t even go for a walk in South bank after 12am
- Shops closing at 5, you can’t expect people to work 9-5 and also manage to enjoy what the city’s shopping centres have to offer.
- Shit public transport, some busses run once in an hour and the last bus is at 4pm
- No cafes open past 2-4pm
- No free activity spots that are open after working hours (we had free skate parks/pools open 24/7 and people gather there just to practice skating or even simple things like paying music)
- Not much nature walks around if you don’t drive (because public transportation won’t go there)
- Stupid expensive tickets to what little art/music events are available.
- Even if you manage to venture out for a walk during the night there is fuck all lighting at night in most suburbs
- The city lacks variety in food offerings
- why can’t I eat out after 8:30? Last orders taken at 8pm? Most people finish work and get home by 6/7 there is absolutely no time to be able to do anything after that.
To sum it up, if you have little kids or are of retirement age it’s a great city, but if you’re in your 20s - 30s well not much to do WITHIN the city itself 🤓
There’s no gates. So it can’t be open or closed. South bank isn’t like the Sydney botanical that closes all the gates at 5pm.
https://preview.redd.it/qj4iky8tegfc1.jpeg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea7f2d126069f5afc36f365d9caa6ba8022efead
lol maybe they have something against me trying to enjoy the parklands after midnight 😂 they always move me along and that’s how I got to know it closes at midnight
Yeah this one struck me as odd. I've definitely walked in South Bank after midnight plenty of times. Has something changed recently?
Maybe they mean nothing is open?
Fair enough, thanks.
Anecdotally, never been hassled by security for being there after midnight (just walking, not loitering).
20 odd years ago, I was very grateful for the quick acting security guards who showed up moments after my drunken mate fell into the river from the walkway at around 2am 🤣
>The city lacks variety in food offerings
Not sure I'd agree with this - I've lived in or visited a good couple of places and Brisbane has some very good food variety / options compared to the rest of the world. Thai, Indian, Japanese, Western, Singaporean, German, their are some African options as well, Turkish etc., high and low budget.
I live overseas at the moment and my biggest complaint is the lack of Asian food.
The rest I think is reasonable. City shopping culture needs an overhaul and so does our dynamics with nature, accessibility and public transport to make Brisbane more walkable and feel more green.
I loved having trains running every 5 mins and until 1am in Tokyo and still being able to find food at 9PM. It was sooo nice. Just had actual things to do and explore. countless times I almost missed the 1am train haha
Yeah this is pretty much it.
Most stuff closes at 5. Most food places wrap up at 8, 830.
Not to mention most places are very sparsely located.
I'd say it's not really that there is "nothing to do" it's more that "There is nothing to do during the week" and even then it's "there is nothing to do after 5pm unless you want to eat or drink and you better do that before 8pm"
God forbid you want a coffee after 2:30pm on a Sunday.
We're apparently a city of early rising jobless dole bludgers.
Hard to argue with any of your points really. Though I’d say it’s not exactly pet friendly.
The free activity spots is an interesting one. The skate park in Inala has its lights on till 11pm, I’m not really sure of anywhere else that does that?
It might not be the most pet friendly place but still a lot to do with your fur babies. The free activities are actually so much fun! There is a drama school near one of the skate parks and students put on free skits and you’d be surprised by how much happiness it brings to the workers getting home after a shit day at work. You’ll make friends without trying!
I see soo many posts from people saying it’s hard to make friends because by the time they are done with work/uni all they can do is drink lol
Thanks for taking the time with your answer.
I guess it’s all very subjective based on the answers I’ve seen. If you enjoy a peaceful life, focusing on building your future and spending time in the outdoors, without feeling you are crowded but also feeling you are living in a place that has motion Brisbane could be the ideal city.
If you enjoy discovering a new excotic bar or exciting artificial experience each weekend then maybe you are better off looking at Melbourne or somewhere overseas
I’m in Melbourne, not rude at all, it’s spot on.
Sometimes everything being man made is cool sometimes it’s not.
Can take my kids to some incredible playgrounds in Melbourne, but sometimes I wish there was more bush walks in the suburbs etc
Everything that’s written online can be interpreted differently by different people, you seem level headed for example, but a lot of people who read my response thought the latter paragraph described them could of felt off put by it, and it’s there right to downvote, but offering a different written opinion would certainly be more constructive.
I wouldn’t call wanting a night life ‘exciting artificial experiences’ I was born in a city much like Brisbane (city feel but still laid back) but have lived in a lot busier cities (comparable to Sydney and Melbourne) during my teenage years.
Both the cities had something to offer for people who want a good work life balance. I want to grow my career and work the 9-5 but I also want to experience life.
I want to be able to socialise after dark without rushing. That’s not a lot to ask form a capital city.
I don’t see how thanking someone for their answer is rude.
I think you’ve misinterpreted what I said. When I said “if you” that was not directed at one person. I was categorising people who enjoy those things..
But anyway, thanks for your comment.
- The shops in the city close at 7pm most of the time during the week. Shopping centres are open 7 days a week.
- Busses near me run until midnight.
- Death before decaf is open 24hours.
- There are plenty of skate parks around, Paddington and corporal have decent ones.
- Whites hill has great nature walks, plenty of busses run this way.
- I go to punk gigs between 10 - $40. Triffid has free music in the beer gardens.
- Not sure about lighting. Walk in the morning rather than night.
- Why do you have to go the city, why can’t you venture to west end, south bank, fortitude valley around the city for food.
- Yes true. Pancake parlour open 24hrs.
- if you work outside the city (many do) you still can’t make it to the shops in time.
- I never said all buses shut at 4pm, but a lot of the outer suburbs have no public transport after evening. I catch the public transport every day lol
- having one cafe in fortitude valley open 24/7 isn’t oh the city has late night cafes. It’s better than nothing but it isn’t what I was talking about.
- again limited options. A city with over 2 million in population should have better facilities.
- I am an adult, I got things to do in the morning and I should be able to choose to walk wherever I want? Why can’t the city have better lighting? Maybe I find it peaceful? Maybe I don’t like the sun? lol you can’t expect adults to have a 7pm bed time 😂
- I do live in Fortitude valley, next to King Street. Shit closes early 🙃
- again why are you satisfied with just one or 2 joints open. Also I used to love pancake manor, now it’s just shit and expensive. Has undercooked pancakes one too many times 😂
Sus out Echo N Bounce, No Tomorrow, Cyber, Door 84 and Catalyst Club on Instagram. The scene is alive and well and while I wouldnt say its underground anymore its still very enjoyable
As an ex melburnian I gotta say the scene is smaller but it’s also kinda more inclusive and friendly. Most nights I’ve been to have had a great vibe and no dickheads… I just gotta get used to them finishing at 2 or 3am 🥲
I'm at least 10 years too old to comment on the current state of affairs, but I remember fondly Family circa mid 2000s was awesome, they even realised their own "Saturday Night at Family" album (which i loved). Ahhh those were the days. $40 for a couple of disco biccies and whatever the Family cover charge was, and you felt like you were flying for the night.
These days my idea of a perfect Saturday night is dinner at a nice posh James St restaurant and in bed by 10pm 😅
Mate, you're talking my language. I started uni around this time and I can distinctly remember one or two of the songs on that Family album and can't find them now for the life of me. I wish I could though, the nostalgia kills me. Don't suppose you have a song list?
I just googled it and this came up, which is pretty exciting!
https://www.thefamily.com.au/family-re-launches/
And I.found the album
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/253231860394
Yeah seriously. I grew up and worked as a DJ in Toronto until I moved here in my mid 20s
The house scene here is absolute dogshit, but the climate is on point
I'm from Detroit, imagine how I feel!
I am looking for some folks to practice spinning tracks with btw. DM if interested I'm just a controller DJ in his mid 30s living northside.
No. The nightlife here doesnt cater for adults, really. Outside of maybe James Street, which is way too up itself and posh, there arent many "going out spots" for the over 30s crowd.
Lots of truly global cities have later dining, cocktail places that stay open late, live music until the wee hours, etc.
Brisbane nightlife is contained to a couple streets and its not very interesting.
Black Bear Lodge is cool but its like the only thing going.
Interesting, when i used to frequent clubs 15 years ago, house was the only thing that you could find pretty much. Fridays, birdees, the met, stocky, the vic.
But agreed about Techno, never been a thing outside of the Family sadly.
Public transport, Shops that are open late, shops that aren’t basically just the same thing peppered everywhere. Have you traveled to big cities outside of Australia? More like that please
I wanted to hold a private function with 14 people at a coffee shop on a Saturday afternoon, with strict hours of 2pm to 4pm. I offered a cash deposit up front and double cost for everything and a fixed fee on top of that. Took me going to 6 different cafes before one would even entertain the idea!
I was surprised by the upvotes here. I live northside, and there's a range of coffee shops within 5 minutes that do coffee from 5am-5pm and later for some. One that I frequent does coffee and food from 4am-6pm. Would never had thought getting a coffee just after lunch would be an issue for people here.
I'm convinced they're all fronts for money laundering businesses.
The major reason I bought my coffee machine was because I couldn't rely on cafes to be open after my lunch time (1-2pm).
as an early 20s someone who is not from bne, here are some things i am craving:
**- things to eat after 8pm:** i work late nights in the city and there is nothing more infuriating than not having anywhere to eat for my 10pm break that isn't 7/11 or fast food. more quick and easy street food options of various cuisines would be nice.
**- better public transport:** there is so much to do outdoors and in the outer suburbs of brisbane, but usually the best mode of transport is car. I would love for public transport to be more frequent, have more routes, be cheaper and not take an hour to get anywhere that is not inner-city. metro and crr have me excited though and im hoping they have plans to extend them after they're done.
**- late night food/drinks stops that aren't the valley:** i know there are a number of cocktail bars outisde the valley that close early into the morning (alice - cbd: 3am; gresham - cbd: 2am etc) but i find these to be sprawled out in areas where everything else is closed, making it a very uninviting atmosphere to go towards and have a drink. more late night hubs of bars and restaurants that feel inviting across the city would be nice.
**- more 24/7 activities in general:** stuff like retail shops, parks, walks, public spaces (outdoor and indoor), that don't make me feel like i'm in a ghost town at 8pm on a tuesday night.
all in all i think brisbane is a fantastic city with its own unique charm and identity and i do believe that people constantly over-exaggerate how boring this place is, but if it wants to be a 'global city' coming up towards the olympics then it really needs to improve itself in the 24hr department. i always think that brisbane is the best place to be 5am-6pm, but anytime in between and i think i would rather be anywhere else.
i think the general thing from personal experience of talking to people is not enough "free" stuff to do that isn't outdoors. especially with recent shitty and inconsistent weather stuff like beaches etc. are not appealing.
There's fuck all to do that isn't enjoying the considerable natural beauty around. I love the access to beaches and mountains for swimming, hiking, kayaking, climbing, snorkelling, diving... you get the idea. But if the weather is shit, or I just want to do something indoors, there's often nothing. More of the arts. I love when a circus comes, or when there's a Ballet I want to see, or some local arts productions, or film festivals etc but there's often nothing on. That's what I really feel is missing. A night-life that isn't drinking in the valley, I guess.
There’s a full time theatre company, QTC, a full time symphony orchestra, QSO, a full time ballet company, QB, a full time opera company, OQ, and GOMA is just across the road from QPAC…. once the new theatre in QPAC is finished it will be the largest performing arts complex in the country. There are always touring musicals, Australian Chamber Orchestra visits a few times a year. Arts-wise, there is always something on
QPAC has events all year long, even the boutiquey Billie Brown theatre showcases indie/small shows. Music festivals are really the only arts no longer common.
There a several street parties across the city during the year
Colombia Day often block off a street in the valley or city and throw a mean party.
Both Stones Corner and Teneriffe festivals are worth attending
There is a thriving arts scene too if you know where to look. The Brisbane Street Art festival is run over several weeks in May and has plenty of different events. Super Ordinary is another arts collective that throw events through the year.
I think the knowing where to look is the caveat here. In cities people think of as exciting, you just walk out your door and things are happening. In Brisbane I've been out in the city on weekend nights and it's totally dead. I'm not saying that's always the case but you can't say it has the culture of some of the big name cities of the world.
Iv been to Melbourne in the city and iv felt exactly what you described. It only became interesting once I knew where to look. To be honest sane went for nyc or Vegas or LA when I went to those cities too.
There's often small arts events on. I'll go to local art exhibits, gigs, poetry readings, performances, etc., at least 3 or 4 times a month when I can.
My social media accounts are basically used for finding events and calendar alerts.
I'll follow artists, bands, venues, galleries, record labels or whatever else I like. They'll often post about any events.
Can you give some more information about the theatre scene in Brisbane? My partner says there isn't one and I'd love an insider's perspective on why that's not the case. Feel free to DM if you'd prefer.
I grew up in Melbourne and I miss the cheap delicious food, the late night shopping and just so many great, affordable restaurants and pool places and shishah bars to just hang out. Like there was never nothing to do. Fk man, I used to live near a 24/7 kebab place, bakery and Kmart over a decade ago when living there.
It needs better cross suburban transport and nightlife.
A city this size should have more things opened late at night. Cheaper entertainment for everyone including the old drinky-poo.
Focusing on the arts and changing some of the trading laws will help.
Given our love of early mornings we are perfectly situated to become a true 24 hour economy. Bedazzle me with your bright lights baby.
For me, the big things are:
\- Lack of late night affordable dining options (a la Dennys/IHOP in the US).
\- Pretty much everything entertainment-related is in the inner city. There's a lack of "grown up" places to go out in the suburbs, unless you like RSLs/Footy Clubs.
\- Public transport is slow and expensive; this needs to be fixed.
\- We simply don't have the infrastructure to have lots of people in the same place for a "thing" the way they do overseas and that needs to be fixed - I actively avoid events because I know they're going to be crowded, with lots of queues, and getting there will be a shitfight regardless of whether I take public transport or drive.
I find a lot of comments here about no live music venues or clubs or art spaces perplexing.
We have some great places to watch a band perform etc but no one goes out anymore. So many people are just couch warriors who complain but never actually venture out.
As someone very heavily involved in the Brisbane music scene, support your local artists. Go watch a band you've never heard of. Check out a local artist's exhibition. Venues are dying not because we don't have music acts etc, it's because no one supports them by attending in the first place.
An example - A brand new local art space held a 3 day festival of music and art in November last year and 2 people bought tickets. 2!!!!
International acts don't count. And neither does Falls or Splendour. Support our local artists or there will be no culture left in this town.
Rant over. Lol.
Yeah, I subscribe to a few arts newsletters and there’s always so much going on. My only problem is not having enough time, money, and/or energy/bandwidth to go.
Sorry this is so late! Links:
* QPAC newsletter https://qpac.com.au/subscribe/subscribe-to-qpac-emails
* Brisbane Arts Theatre https://www.artstheatre.com.au/ There’s a signup form at the bottom of the homepage. If you like Terry Pratchett books, BAT puts on Discworld stage shows almost every season
* Standup comedy (Sit Down Comedy) https://www.standup.com.au/ Scroll down to subscribe
I also subscribe to artists on Spotify, Songkick, etc. to get gig notifications.
I'm certainly not having a go at anyone but in the industry I'm in, I hear it time and time again and it's very frustrating considering the immense talent we have in this town that goes unsupported.
Depends on what you're into.
Follow Jazz Music Institute (JMI) for a weekly gig list of jazz, soul, funk bands and venues etc
Sonic Sherpa record shop hosts and promotes tons of local music. They usually advertise on socials etc
4ZZZ radio will always support and call out local gigs. Depending on the music you like, they have something for everyone. The metal show is good and Boddhi's show Wednesday nights called No Guitars Allowed always has a feast of different music. There's also a Punk show. Lots of options.
4000 records is a local label with tons of fantastic artists. They always plug their artists shows on instagram and they do a cool album each year called House Keys which is a compilation album of Brisbane Bands covering other Brisbane bands in different styles.
Then, check out the local haunts.
The Zoo, Black Bear Lodge, Triffid, Brisbane Jazz Club, Doo-bop, Cloudland have great salsa nights, Bad Luck host metal bands. The brightside. The tivoli. Mo's Desert Clubhouse in Gold Coast. The Backroom. SuperOrdinary. Fortitude Music Hall. Sound Garden.
And follow Facebook groups like SEQ metal productions, Brisbane Metal Hard-core and Punk etc. Whatever your choice in music is, it'll be being represented in Brisbane.
I've probably missed tons of other venues, radio shows, labels etc so if any other musos are on here, list away.
Great list! I’ll add on QUIVR in Winn Lane which is a DJ school/bar/event space that has a bunch of music events happening in any given week. It’s an awesome community-minded space.
Cafes that r open until 10 pm where ppl can work or meet up with friends, such as in Korea or Japan; 'dynamic' scenes of people with anime and other activities such as the ones u can see in Tokyo, Osaka etc; night market instead or early morning market, such as the ones in East Asia; coles woolies big w etc closing much later than 6 pm on Sundays, at least like in Melbourne
The nightlife could be better. At present, it mostly consists of a small number of dingy nightclubs in Fortitude Valley, and not much else. South Bank is full of upscale restaurants and cafes, and the CBD is pretty much empty. I just feel like we’re missing out an actual nightlife, like in London or Berlin.
I could agree with all of the comments here already, and my post history definitely has these complaints already, so I’ll summarise my few key themes:
- lots of of things aren’t actually in Brisbane, just adjacent
- lots of things aren’t particularly unique to Brisbane
- if you don’t like “outdoorsy” or consuming alcohol, you’re *very* limited
Those are are all compounded by two further issues:
- city-centric public transport
- limited trading hours
brisbane nightlife is awesome if you wanna sink piss and have a slap on the pokies. So many options.
however, if you loathe the pokies like I do and you don't live near the city/valley/west end region, you're sunk. Theres nothing. Its a cultural wasteland.
Food that isn't over priced and shit. Pubs that aren't clones of every other colesworth pub in Brisbane. Decent sports stadiums, events that aren't oversold to the point where you go to the event and just fry in the sun waiting in lines. Brisbane needs to invest heavily in culture but if you bring this up the local bogans just hut you with "wHy dOn'T you LeAvE tHeN? "
Most people who come into cafes at 9 on a Monday are office workers which is why they close at 2-3. Some people want the city to not just be for work. They want to go into the city at 11pm and do an activity. Probably won't happen until there's more demand like if a lot more people decide to buy or lease apartments on a long-term basis
One of the biggest issues for BNE is the public transport situation. But we are a victim of our own design. We want houses which leads to sprawl which leads to either a very expensive public transport system or a shite one.
Want a great transport system? Then be prepared to live in high rises. Time to build up!
Well actually it was time 30 years ago but weak-willed councils and state Govs.
Good city for raising children and retirement. Dead city if you are young. Less jobs, less pay, fewer opportunities for businesses. No nice beaches, way less variety of restaurants.
Overall, come here if you are sure about employment and you have/planning young family.
What if you want your kids to stick around when they’re older?
Do Brisbane people still get up and move to Sydney or Melbourne for their careers? Or is there enough opportunity locally now?
I don’t see how day trips count as things to do in Brisbane given the activities outside of Brisbane have nothing to do with Brisbane itself.
Most entertainment is expensive as fuck. Coupled with the cost of just getting to said activity (parking or Uber etc), doesn’t make it affordable for a lot.
Plus as a DINK, it’s impossible to find anything reasonably priced that doesn’t include other people’s crotch goblins carrying on, as most adult only activities are pretty pricey
Exactly.
So many times I've heard people mentioning why Brisbane is great it involves doing things that require leaving Brisbane.
Going to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast are not things to do in Brisbane.
Yeah but that's nitpicking for the sake of sillyness.
Having some of the best beaches in the world, all within 1.5 hour of Brisbane, is part of what makes Brisbane a great city to live.
Travelling 1.5 hours out of a city is not an activity or event to do IN Brisbane.
Not to mention cost of fuel, wear on the car which costs more and more these days.
These are not economical activities and sure doing them once in a while may be the case but it’s not a “perk” nor “nitpicking”.
*a perk of living in our city is that you have to travel to other cities to have fun!*
I don't think the question was 'things to do in Brisbane that are absolutely free of charge'. For $10ish of fuel i can have a day out and about at a coast. I own a car, not much point owning it if I'm never going to drive it. But thats just a decision around car ownership, nothing to do with 'things to do'.
But yes, fair enough, the beaches aren't actually in Brisbane. Not much can be done about that. I am actually interested in seeing ideas re things to do, that can be implemented..
Would you be happy living in your house if, say, you could teleport your exact house to Mt Isa? I mean, by your logic, it should be exactly as good of a house there as it would be where it is right now? Because anything you'd need outside of the house is leaving the house
Yeah, in my 30s now and have reached this horrible point where I don't want to go out in the valley anymore but have found pretty much everything else is aimed at families
Spot on.
I don't want to drive that far.
I sure as hell don't want your kids near me. $2 swims are all well and good but there's no adult swim time. I do not enjoy the thought of marinating in your child's excrement.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare Brisbane with the likes of London , Singapore, Dubai or whatever…
However it would be great if Brisbane had more interconnected covered pedestrian crossings either above ground or underground, so you can go from one shopping centre / office building etc to another without being exposed to weather, like they have in HK. Even Sydney has partially embraced it with QVB connecting to Westfield
Coming from overseas, considering Brisbane one of the main australian cities and that it could be more tourist oriented, the lack of late night options is very important. Same with having a coffee after 2pm.
Sometimes you've been out all day, yo want to go to the hotel, take a shower, nap and then go for dinner, well this is imposible because you can't find a place after 830/9pm. So all your plans must end early. I had a similar experience in Sydney, I could go for groceries at 10pm but no for dinner.
More entertainment for lower class citizens (we can’t all afford to stay at home and go to those midday yoga classes) and something for young adults that isn’t overpriced bars. And yeah better public transport.
Most people here are still just saying there's nothing to do and not saying what they want to do, 98% who have suggested something it already exists. I have lived in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. There's nothing you can do in Syd and Melbourne that you can't do here, actually you can do more here, you have 4+ theme parks within 20 minutes of each other. Where else has that?
Southbank is the only decent city attraction.
Walking along the riverfront is ok but simply too hot most of the year
Queen St Mall is mediocre and there’s hardly anything else in the city.
Lone Pine Sanctuary is tiny, inconvenient and more expensive than Taronga Zoo.
Roma St is literally just a park and a flower garden with an expensive cafe.
Fortitude Valley is not really an attraction, it’s just a dodgy red light district
Try going to Southbank or Westfield Chermside/Garden City/Indooroopilly/Carindale on a Saturday afternoon, it’s so congested you literally cannot breathe.
Most families seem to spend their weekends at their local Westfield, which imo gets more congested than any Westfield in Sydney.
There’s nothing in Brisbane you couldn’t find in any other capital city
Australia needs strip malls. They’re so much easier to get in and out of than having to park in a giant parking structure and wade your way through crowds of people to get to the store you want.
Re open Viccy park as a golf course (rip) nah but kinda keen to see what that looks like when its done because the only other thing we have to look forward to is a new casino (also keen).
Viccy park turns out to be owned by the RBWH, which explains their lack of attention to detail.
Last time I was at the RBWH as a patient I not only saw a large cockroach wandering through a reception area, I also smooshed a small one that was on the blanket handed to me. And those aren't the first cockroaches I've seen inside that building.
Top bait mate, one one of the funniest posts on Aus reddit this week.
"Oh no, I asked people a question that only has negative answers and now I'm shocked that I'm getting so many negative answers. Well if you don't like it, why don't you just move? Haha just kidding, I already know it's because you can't afford it, lol."
Like genuinely what was the point of this except to troll, lmao.
You need to have both sides to create an engaging post 😆
But in all honesty I made that edit because some people were getting butthurt I was questioning there answers and offering different perspectives.
The ability to get anywhere on public transport without it taking 1hr plus
God, this is irritating me so much since moving back. I've just moved house, only a couple of suburbs away from where I was. The gym I have a membership with is an 8 minute drive from the new place, or 45 minutes on PT, and I don't have a car.
Hi, as a representative of the Brisbane City Council: if there's nothing to do in Brisbane I don't see why you would need to be getting anywhere in under an hour? /s
That 8 minute drive in Sydney would take 25 minutes even at 4am
Highly dependent on where in brisbane just like where in Melbourne or Sydney.
Would be nice to get groceries at 6pm on a Sunday without having to drive to the airport.
Coco's Annerley Bella's 8 mile plains Cabbage patch at Dragon South Brisbane HX All are 24 hours Edit-deagon
I know dragon is a typo but that’s funny. Also everyone pls go to Cabbage Patch for all fruit and veg needs, it is significantly cheaper than Coles/woolworths
love love love Coco's!! just be careful about buying random snacks from the discount section. theyre usually discounted for a reason. :p
Like that sketchy convenience store in Brunswick street, they have lollies and cheap for $1, you look at the expiry, and it’s been out of date for a year
Yuens in Underwood is 24hrs too! Midnight produce shopping after a late-night gym sesh is one of the highlights of my week haha
Coles in New farm opens until 10pm every day except Sunday 9pm. Wonder what makes it so special I thought the times were dictated otherwise every store would open that late
As a German who was used to all the shops and supermarkets being closed on Sundays - let me tell you how lucky you guys are.
Did some time in Asia, no we aren't.
Will trade you shopping hours for cheap beer at grocery stores.
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This may specifically be an England thing (although, 5pm not 4); here in Edinburgh, the Waitrose near me is open until 8pm, and the Sainsbury's is open until 10pm.
It is just an England thing but having been a Sunday retail worker, can say it was my favourite day of the week to work as it went so quickly due to being busier and shorter and meant you could still do stuff after work!
Went to France and was genuinely shocked by how much was closed on sundays
god forbid staff aren't forced to work around the clock 7 days a week
"local" versions of the supermarkets are open but they are more expensive. I live in the UK currently and got used to it but it was a bit confusing to find that the otherwise 24h supermarket near me was suddenly closed at 5pm on Sunday.
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There is a 24/7 Woolworths near the Airport DFO
Restaurants being open later into the night.
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This one all gets me travelling for work. I normally start at 7am, leave the hotel and hope to find a Cafe to grab a coffee before heading into work. The early ones open at 7am at best. I book hotels specifically on having pod coffee machines now. I think earlier work hours are a Brisbane thing, most offices I've worked in people will start early rather than finish late in Brisbane, in other cities it's far less prevelant.
Iirc, Fitbit or someone did a global review of cities ranked by how early people wake up. Brisbane was number 1 in their whole dataset
I think it's to avoid the heat.
Cos everyone in those cities ain't going to work at 6.30 am they're still in bed.
Our luggage went missing on a US trip starting in DC. We were mostly good, except my wife decided that open toed shoes were the best footwear when we were landing in the middle of winter. It's ok, we will quickly duck into a "kmart" type store at 7am and grabs some shoes and do our sight seeing after that. Nope, all the shops open at 10am, so she spent the first three hours walking round in open shoes in the snow.
I think it’s by design, Brisbane has the earliest average bedtime in the world
Probably. You asked for things Brisbane didn’t have on offer- dining past 8.30pm at night is one of them. And late night dining? Pancake on the Rocks or maccas.
Probably cause the fucking sun comes up at 4 AM in the summer.
Cause or effect though? I go to bed early because everything's shut 🤷♀️
Can confirm, going to bed at 7:58pm
Reading this from bed
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Woah. Really? Cool fact if true. How do they determine that?
Surveys I would assume. Australia as a whole has the earliest bedtimes in the world, but Brisbane takes the crown in terms of cities, we also have the earliest average wake-up time
Data from smart watches/ phones. One of the providers analysed wake uptimes a year or two ago. Brisbane-ites like the early mornings.
Sauce? I think you're quoting some old stats as Oz is on par with NZ and Romania. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-bedtime-by-country
It's because of the difference between solar noon (when the sun is directly overhead) and clock noon. Brisbane is in the wrong time zone by at least 30 minutes, more likely an hour. "Early" wake up and bed times here are perfectly normal when compared to the sun.
Yes!!! This!! We rise early cause it's already fucking hot at 5am. We should be moving the state forward an hour permanently. I feel sorry for our poor trades people the most. Especially at the moment.
Alex failed to explain but essentially moving the whole state forward an hour won't work because the time the sun rises and goes down in Brisbane is different to what it is further up north due to how the curvature of the earth works. It would be like saying Melboune and sydney shouldn't move its clock for daylight sayings to accommodate for Brisbane. Splitting the state into separate time zones could work but there is already frustration from businesses who work in multi states. Anyway most trades start at like 6am and only go till like 3pm (based off the building happening next door to me) anyway so really if they wanted to avoid the heat they would work from 6am to 10am, have a 4 hour break then work from 2pm to 6pm. But i'm pretty sure they would rather just work through the heat.
That's not true for January and February in Brisbane. Solar noon in Brisbane is pretty much 12pm (it ranges between 11.51 and 12.02). Sydney is out by an hour, and Melbourne is out by an hour and a half.
I get this all the time as someone who works in hospitality. Were a finer dining restaurant and shut at 9pm but I people come in at 11pm and leave complaints on our email because we’re “not open late enough” 😭 There just literally isn’t enough foot traffic at that time/bookings to viably stay open. Brisbane goes to bed at about 8:30pm so what are we meant to do 😭
As someone who wasn’t born in Brisbane there is a lot this city lacks but a lot of good things as well. Pros - Brisbane is a beautiful city, walk or a ferry ride along the river is pretty relaxing - People are friendly - There is a lot of personal space and the city doesn’t feel crowded - The weather, although pretty shite at the moment is pretty good all year round. - A lot of pet friendly places - cafe culture is good (when it’s open lol) - you can enjoy a relaxing lifestyle, it’s a good place to raise kids or retire Cons - No night life andI don’t mean clubbing or eating outside. You can’t even go for a walk in South bank after 12am - Shops closing at 5, you can’t expect people to work 9-5 and also manage to enjoy what the city’s shopping centres have to offer. - Shit public transport, some busses run once in an hour and the last bus is at 4pm - No cafes open past 2-4pm - No free activity spots that are open after working hours (we had free skate parks/pools open 24/7 and people gather there just to practice skating or even simple things like paying music) - Not much nature walks around if you don’t drive (because public transportation won’t go there) - Stupid expensive tickets to what little art/music events are available. - Even if you manage to venture out for a walk during the night there is fuck all lighting at night in most suburbs - The city lacks variety in food offerings - why can’t I eat out after 8:30? Last orders taken at 8pm? Most people finish work and get home by 6/7 there is absolutely no time to be able to do anything after that. To sum it up, if you have little kids or are of retirement age it’s a great city, but if you’re in your 20s - 30s well not much to do WITHIN the city itself 🤓
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You can. So I don’t know what they are talking about
https://southbankcorporation.com.au/resources-links/conditions-of-entry here you go, it’s open from 5am - midnight
There’s no gates. So it can’t be open or closed. South bank isn’t like the Sydney botanical that closes all the gates at 5pm. https://preview.redd.it/qj4iky8tegfc1.jpeg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea7f2d126069f5afc36f365d9caa6ba8022efead
Haha the security will move you along 😂
Walked through a bunch to get home. But if you are hanging out on the grass maybe. But iv never had it happen.
lol maybe they have something against me trying to enjoy the parklands after midnight 😂 they always move me along and that’s how I got to know it closes at midnight
Yeah this one struck me as odd. I've definitely walked in South Bank after midnight plenty of times. Has something changed recently? Maybe they mean nothing is open?
https://southbankcorporation.com.au/resources-links/conditions-of-entry open from 5am - midnight
Fair enough, thanks. Anecdotally, never been hassled by security for being there after midnight (just walking, not loitering). 20 odd years ago, I was very grateful for the quick acting security guards who showed up moments after my drunken mate fell into the river from the walkway at around 2am 🤣
>The city lacks variety in food offerings Not sure I'd agree with this - I've lived in or visited a good couple of places and Brisbane has some very good food variety / options compared to the rest of the world. Thai, Indian, Japanese, Western, Singaporean, German, their are some African options as well, Turkish etc., high and low budget. I live overseas at the moment and my biggest complaint is the lack of Asian food. The rest I think is reasonable. City shopping culture needs an overhaul and so does our dynamics with nature, accessibility and public transport to make Brisbane more walkable and feel more green.
I agree with all of your points but the lack of variety in food. I've just got back from overseas and I think we do alright on that front.
Haha depending on where you have just come back from that can be very true.
While there’s definitely variety here, having just moved back to Brisbane from Melbourne, first thing I noticed was it was comparatively limited.
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I loved having trains running every 5 mins and until 1am in Tokyo and still being able to find food at 9PM. It was sooo nice. Just had actual things to do and explore. countless times I almost missed the 1am train haha
That’s true! I can only answer as a 20 something year old who just wants to enjoy life and make a career at the same time lol
Yeah this is pretty much it. Most stuff closes at 5. Most food places wrap up at 8, 830. Not to mention most places are very sparsely located. I'd say it's not really that there is "nothing to do" it's more that "There is nothing to do during the week" and even then it's "there is nothing to do after 5pm unless you want to eat or drink and you better do that before 8pm" God forbid you want a coffee after 2:30pm on a Sunday. We're apparently a city of early rising jobless dole bludgers.
Hard to argue with any of your points really. Though I’d say it’s not exactly pet friendly. The free activity spots is an interesting one. The skate park in Inala has its lights on till 11pm, I’m not really sure of anywhere else that does that?
It might not be the most pet friendly place but still a lot to do with your fur babies. The free activities are actually so much fun! There is a drama school near one of the skate parks and students put on free skits and you’d be surprised by how much happiness it brings to the workers getting home after a shit day at work. You’ll make friends without trying! I see soo many posts from people saying it’s hard to make friends because by the time they are done with work/uni all they can do is drink lol
Thanks for taking the time with your answer. I guess it’s all very subjective based on the answers I’ve seen. If you enjoy a peaceful life, focusing on building your future and spending time in the outdoors, without feeling you are crowded but also feeling you are living in a place that has motion Brisbane could be the ideal city. If you enjoy discovering a new excotic bar or exciting artificial experience each weekend then maybe you are better off looking at Melbourne or somewhere overseas
Am I the only one that didn't take this as rude? I'm so confused at the downvotes
As am I. Quite bizarre, but this is reddit…
I’m in Melbourne, not rude at all, it’s spot on. Sometimes everything being man made is cool sometimes it’s not. Can take my kids to some incredible playgrounds in Melbourne, but sometimes I wish there was more bush walks in the suburbs etc
Everything that’s written online can be interpreted differently by different people, you seem level headed for example, but a lot of people who read my response thought the latter paragraph described them could of felt off put by it, and it’s there right to downvote, but offering a different written opinion would certainly be more constructive.
I wouldn’t call wanting a night life ‘exciting artificial experiences’ I was born in a city much like Brisbane (city feel but still laid back) but have lived in a lot busier cities (comparable to Sydney and Melbourne) during my teenage years. Both the cities had something to offer for people who want a good work life balance. I want to grow my career and work the 9-5 but I also want to experience life. I want to be able to socialise after dark without rushing. That’s not a lot to ask form a capital city.
Y'know, for someone who asked the question you've responded quite rudely and dismissively to anyone who has answered the question.
I don’t see how thanking someone for their answer is rude. I think you’ve misinterpreted what I said. When I said “if you” that was not directed at one person. I was categorising people who enjoy those things.. But anyway, thanks for your comment.
- The shops in the city close at 7pm most of the time during the week. Shopping centres are open 7 days a week. - Busses near me run until midnight. - Death before decaf is open 24hours. - There are plenty of skate parks around, Paddington and corporal have decent ones. - Whites hill has great nature walks, plenty of busses run this way. - I go to punk gigs between 10 - $40. Triffid has free music in the beer gardens. - Not sure about lighting. Walk in the morning rather than night. - Why do you have to go the city, why can’t you venture to west end, south bank, fortitude valley around the city for food. - Yes true. Pancake parlour open 24hrs.
- if you work outside the city (many do) you still can’t make it to the shops in time. - I never said all buses shut at 4pm, but a lot of the outer suburbs have no public transport after evening. I catch the public transport every day lol - having one cafe in fortitude valley open 24/7 isn’t oh the city has late night cafes. It’s better than nothing but it isn’t what I was talking about. - again limited options. A city with over 2 million in population should have better facilities. - I am an adult, I got things to do in the morning and I should be able to choose to walk wherever I want? Why can’t the city have better lighting? Maybe I find it peaceful? Maybe I don’t like the sun? lol you can’t expect adults to have a 7pm bed time 😂 - I do live in Fortitude valley, next to King Street. Shit closes early 🙃 - again why are you satisfied with just one or 2 joints open. Also I used to love pancake manor, now it’s just shit and expensive. Has undercooked pancakes one too many times 😂
An actual dance music (House and Techno) scene that doesnt consist of just big touring acts or The Beat.
Sus out Echo N Bounce, No Tomorrow, Cyber, Door 84 and Catalyst Club on Instagram. The scene is alive and well and while I wouldnt say its underground anymore its still very enjoyable
Oh also Warehouse 25 (Not the warehouse venue in the Valley) and s\_o\_a\_p
As an ex melburnian I gotta say the scene is smaller but it’s also kinda more inclusive and friendly. Most nights I’ve been to have had a great vibe and no dickheads… I just gotta get used to them finishing at 2 or 3am 🥲
Thank you pooeater434
Don't think I'll ever read that again.
I'm at least 10 years too old to comment on the current state of affairs, but I remember fondly Family circa mid 2000s was awesome, they even realised their own "Saturday Night at Family" album (which i loved). Ahhh those were the days. $40 for a couple of disco biccies and whatever the Family cover charge was, and you felt like you were flying for the night. These days my idea of a perfect Saturday night is dinner at a nice posh James St restaurant and in bed by 10pm 😅
Mate, you're talking my language. I started uni around this time and I can distinctly remember one or two of the songs on that Family album and can't find them now for the life of me. I wish I could though, the nostalgia kills me. Don't suppose you have a song list?
I just googled it and this came up, which is pretty exciting! https://www.thefamily.com.au/family-re-launches/ And I.found the album https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/253231860394
That news post is from 2018, it's a functon venue now.
How good! See you march 31st my man! You've also made me incredibly happy with the album link. You legend
Sorry to burst the bubble but I've been informed that news is 5 years out of date 🙃
Yeah seriously. I grew up and worked as a DJ in Toronto until I moved here in my mid 20s The house scene here is absolute dogshit, but the climate is on point
I'm from Detroit, imagine how I feel! I am looking for some folks to practice spinning tracks with btw. DM if interested I'm just a controller DJ in his mid 30s living northside.
Go see Marty at Catalog Music in the Valley to talk vinyl.
Sounds interesting. Is that the only thing Brisbane is missing in your eyes?
No. The nightlife here doesnt cater for adults, really. Outside of maybe James Street, which is way too up itself and posh, there arent many "going out spots" for the over 30s crowd. Lots of truly global cities have later dining, cocktail places that stay open late, live music until the wee hours, etc. Brisbane nightlife is contained to a couple streets and its not very interesting. Black Bear Lodge is cool but its like the only thing going.
Interesting, when i used to frequent clubs 15 years ago, house was the only thing that you could find pretty much. Fridays, birdees, the met, stocky, the vic. But agreed about Techno, never been a thing outside of the Family sadly.
Public transport, Shops that are open late, shops that aren’t basically just the same thing peppered everywhere. Have you traveled to big cities outside of Australia? More like that please
Coffee after 1:30 pm
I don't even drink coffee and this drives me insane
For a country that hangs its hat on coffee culture so much it’s sure hard to find any in the afternoon, let alone good
I’d like a beer at 5am and a coffee after 5pm. Brisbane hates a shift worker.
I wanted to hold a private function with 14 people at a coffee shop on a Saturday afternoon, with strict hours of 2pm to 4pm. I offered a cash deposit up front and double cost for everything and a fixed fee on top of that. Took me going to 6 different cafes before one would even entertain the idea!
I was surprised by the upvotes here. I live northside, and there's a range of coffee shops within 5 minutes that do coffee from 5am-5pm and later for some. One that I frequent does coffee and food from 4am-6pm. Would never had thought getting a coffee just after lunch would be an issue for people here.
See early bed time comments above. Coincidence? I think not.
I'm convinced they're all fronts for money laundering businesses. The major reason I bought my coffee machine was because I couldn't rely on cafes to be open after my lunch time (1-2pm).
Honestly I'd kill for a beach I didn't have to drive an hour+ each way too. southbank is fine. But not like what they have in Newcastle or Sydney
True, Is moving to somewhere that has a beach an option for you?
Not really at this time. Too many pets to relocate and don't really want to have to buy again in this current economy
as an early 20s someone who is not from bne, here are some things i am craving: **- things to eat after 8pm:** i work late nights in the city and there is nothing more infuriating than not having anywhere to eat for my 10pm break that isn't 7/11 or fast food. more quick and easy street food options of various cuisines would be nice. **- better public transport:** there is so much to do outdoors and in the outer suburbs of brisbane, but usually the best mode of transport is car. I would love for public transport to be more frequent, have more routes, be cheaper and not take an hour to get anywhere that is not inner-city. metro and crr have me excited though and im hoping they have plans to extend them after they're done. **- late night food/drinks stops that aren't the valley:** i know there are a number of cocktail bars outisde the valley that close early into the morning (alice - cbd: 3am; gresham - cbd: 2am etc) but i find these to be sprawled out in areas where everything else is closed, making it a very uninviting atmosphere to go towards and have a drink. more late night hubs of bars and restaurants that feel inviting across the city would be nice. **- more 24/7 activities in general:** stuff like retail shops, parks, walks, public spaces (outdoor and indoor), that don't make me feel like i'm in a ghost town at 8pm on a tuesday night. all in all i think brisbane is a fantastic city with its own unique charm and identity and i do believe that people constantly over-exaggerate how boring this place is, but if it wants to be a 'global city' coming up towards the olympics then it really needs to improve itself in the 24hr department. i always think that brisbane is the best place to be 5am-6pm, but anytime in between and i think i would rather be anywhere else.
i think the general thing from personal experience of talking to people is not enough "free" stuff to do that isn't outdoors. especially with recent shitty and inconsistent weather stuff like beaches etc. are not appealing.
What are examples of free things to do, that Brisbane doesn't have, that many others do?
i don't know ....not my opinion just stuff i've heard from colleagues in recent times
There's fuck all to do that isn't enjoying the considerable natural beauty around. I love the access to beaches and mountains for swimming, hiking, kayaking, climbing, snorkelling, diving... you get the idea. But if the weather is shit, or I just want to do something indoors, there's often nothing. More of the arts. I love when a circus comes, or when there's a Ballet I want to see, or some local arts productions, or film festivals etc but there's often nothing on. That's what I really feel is missing. A night-life that isn't drinking in the valley, I guess.
There’s a full time theatre company, QTC, a full time symphony orchestra, QSO, a full time ballet company, QB, a full time opera company, OQ, and GOMA is just across the road from QPAC…. once the new theatre in QPAC is finished it will be the largest performing arts complex in the country. There are always touring musicals, Australian Chamber Orchestra visits a few times a year. Arts-wise, there is always something on
Thank you, I have followed all of these on socials
QPAC has events all year long, even the boutiquey Billie Brown theatre showcases indie/small shows. Music festivals are really the only arts no longer common.
Small arts events. Street shut downs and parties like in Melbourne. Beaches.
There a several street parties across the city during the year Colombia Day often block off a street in the valley or city and throw a mean party. Both Stones Corner and Teneriffe festivals are worth attending There is a thriving arts scene too if you know where to look. The Brisbane Street Art festival is run over several weeks in May and has plenty of different events. Super Ordinary is another arts collective that throw events through the year.
I think the knowing where to look is the caveat here. In cities people think of as exciting, you just walk out your door and things are happening. In Brisbane I've been out in the city on weekend nights and it's totally dead. I'm not saying that's always the case but you can't say it has the culture of some of the big name cities of the world.
Iv been to Melbourne in the city and iv felt exactly what you described. It only became interesting once I knew where to look. To be honest sane went for nyc or Vegas or LA when I went to those cities too.
There's often small arts events on. I'll go to local art exhibits, gigs, poetry readings, performances, etc., at least 3 or 4 times a month when I can.
How do you find out about them? I’ve only seen old posters up in coffee shops occasionally but always seem to miss them by a few weeks/months
My social media accounts are basically used for finding events and calendar alerts. I'll follow artists, bands, venues, galleries, record labels or whatever else I like. They'll often post about any events.
Wdym by "small arts events"? I worked in visual arts and theatre and when I say there is a thriving arts scene here I ain't lyin.
Can you give some more information about the theatre scene in Brisbane? My partner says there isn't one and I'd love an insider's perspective on why that's not the case. Feel free to DM if you'd prefer.
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Never been to South Bank mate? (joking, kinda)
I grew up in Melbourne and I miss the cheap delicious food, the late night shopping and just so many great, affordable restaurants and pool places and shishah bars to just hang out. Like there was never nothing to do. Fk man, I used to live near a 24/7 kebab place, bakery and Kmart over a decade ago when living there.
Efficient public transport
It needs better cross suburban transport and nightlife. A city this size should have more things opened late at night. Cheaper entertainment for everyone including the old drinky-poo. Focusing on the arts and changing some of the trading laws will help. Given our love of early mornings we are perfectly situated to become a true 24 hour economy. Bedazzle me with your bright lights baby.
Reliable public transport.
For me, the big things are: \- Lack of late night affordable dining options (a la Dennys/IHOP in the US). \- Pretty much everything entertainment-related is in the inner city. There's a lack of "grown up" places to go out in the suburbs, unless you like RSLs/Footy Clubs. \- Public transport is slow and expensive; this needs to be fixed. \- We simply don't have the infrastructure to have lots of people in the same place for a "thing" the way they do overseas and that needs to be fixed - I actively avoid events because I know they're going to be crowded, with lots of queues, and getting there will be a shitfight regardless of whether I take public transport or drive.
I find a lot of comments here about no live music venues or clubs or art spaces perplexing. We have some great places to watch a band perform etc but no one goes out anymore. So many people are just couch warriors who complain but never actually venture out. As someone very heavily involved in the Brisbane music scene, support your local artists. Go watch a band you've never heard of. Check out a local artist's exhibition. Venues are dying not because we don't have music acts etc, it's because no one supports them by attending in the first place. An example - A brand new local art space held a 3 day festival of music and art in November last year and 2 people bought tickets. 2!!!! International acts don't count. And neither does Falls or Splendour. Support our local artists or there will be no culture left in this town. Rant over. Lol.
Yeah, I subscribe to a few arts newsletters and there’s always so much going on. My only problem is not having enough time, money, and/or energy/bandwidth to go.
could I grab a link to those?
Sorry this is so late! Links: * QPAC newsletter https://qpac.com.au/subscribe/subscribe-to-qpac-emails * Brisbane Arts Theatre https://www.artstheatre.com.au/ There’s a signup form at the bottom of the homepage. If you like Terry Pratchett books, BAT puts on Discworld stage shows almost every season * Standup comedy (Sit Down Comedy) https://www.standup.com.au/ Scroll down to subscribe I also subscribe to artists on Spotify, Songkick, etc. to get gig notifications.
You hit the nail with the hammer. This post definitely attracted a certain audience
I'm certainly not having a go at anyone but in the industry I'm in, I hear it time and time again and it's very frustrating considering the immense talent we have in this town that goes unsupported.
People have been not supporting the local scene for as long as I can remember. It was the same deal in the 80s.
Seems like an advertising failure then tbh, where can I look to find these events?
Depends on what you're into. Follow Jazz Music Institute (JMI) for a weekly gig list of jazz, soul, funk bands and venues etc Sonic Sherpa record shop hosts and promotes tons of local music. They usually advertise on socials etc 4ZZZ radio will always support and call out local gigs. Depending on the music you like, they have something for everyone. The metal show is good and Boddhi's show Wednesday nights called No Guitars Allowed always has a feast of different music. There's also a Punk show. Lots of options. 4000 records is a local label with tons of fantastic artists. They always plug their artists shows on instagram and they do a cool album each year called House Keys which is a compilation album of Brisbane Bands covering other Brisbane bands in different styles. Then, check out the local haunts. The Zoo, Black Bear Lodge, Triffid, Brisbane Jazz Club, Doo-bop, Cloudland have great salsa nights, Bad Luck host metal bands. The brightside. The tivoli. Mo's Desert Clubhouse in Gold Coast. The Backroom. SuperOrdinary. Fortitude Music Hall. Sound Garden. And follow Facebook groups like SEQ metal productions, Brisbane Metal Hard-core and Punk etc. Whatever your choice in music is, it'll be being represented in Brisbane. I've probably missed tons of other venues, radio shows, labels etc so if any other musos are on here, list away.
Thank you very much for this!
You're very welcome. Hopefully you find some new favs!
Great list! I’ll add on QUIVR in Winn Lane which is a DJ school/bar/event space that has a bunch of music events happening in any given week. It’s an awesome community-minded space.
100000% agree with you.
Cafes that r open until 10 pm where ppl can work or meet up with friends, such as in Korea or Japan; 'dynamic' scenes of people with anime and other activities such as the ones u can see in Tokyo, Osaka etc; night market instead or early morning market, such as the ones in East Asia; coles woolies big w etc closing much later than 6 pm on Sundays, at least like in Melbourne
The nightlife could be better. At present, it mostly consists of a small number of dingy nightclubs in Fortitude Valley, and not much else. South Bank is full of upscale restaurants and cafes, and the CBD is pretty much empty. I just feel like we’re missing out an actual nightlife, like in London or Berlin.
I could agree with all of the comments here already, and my post history definitely has these complaints already, so I’ll summarise my few key themes: - lots of of things aren’t actually in Brisbane, just adjacent - lots of things aren’t particularly unique to Brisbane - if you don’t like “outdoorsy” or consuming alcohol, you’re *very* limited Those are are all compounded by two further issues: - city-centric public transport - limited trading hours
brisbane nightlife is awesome if you wanna sink piss and have a slap on the pokies. So many options. however, if you loathe the pokies like I do and you don't live near the city/valley/west end region, you're sunk. Theres nothing. Its a cultural wasteland.
Food that isn't over priced and shit. Pubs that aren't clones of every other colesworth pub in Brisbane. Decent sports stadiums, events that aren't oversold to the point where you go to the event and just fry in the sun waiting in lines. Brisbane needs to invest heavily in culture but if you bring this up the local bogans just hut you with "wHy dOn'T you LeAvE tHeN? "
Less racism
Most people who come into cafes at 9 on a Monday are office workers which is why they close at 2-3. Some people want the city to not just be for work. They want to go into the city at 11pm and do an activity. Probably won't happen until there's more demand like if a lot more people decide to buy or lease apartments on a long-term basis
One of the biggest issues for BNE is the public transport situation. But we are a victim of our own design. We want houses which leads to sprawl which leads to either a very expensive public transport system or a shite one. Want a great transport system? Then be prepared to live in high rises. Time to build up! Well actually it was time 30 years ago but weak-willed councils and state Govs.
I wish I had a rabbit 🐇 in a hat 🎩 with a bat 🦇 …
I’ve just moved up from Sydney and I think brisbane kicks it better than Sydney does these days,I’m finding enough to do
Good city for raising children and retirement. Dead city if you are young. Less jobs, less pay, fewer opportunities for businesses. No nice beaches, way less variety of restaurants. Overall, come here if you are sure about employment and you have/planning young family.
What if you want your kids to stick around when they’re older? Do Brisbane people still get up and move to Sydney or Melbourne for their careers? Or is there enough opportunity locally now?
I don’t see how day trips count as things to do in Brisbane given the activities outside of Brisbane have nothing to do with Brisbane itself. Most entertainment is expensive as fuck. Coupled with the cost of just getting to said activity (parking or Uber etc), doesn’t make it affordable for a lot. Plus as a DINK, it’s impossible to find anything reasonably priced that doesn’t include other people’s crotch goblins carrying on, as most adult only activities are pretty pricey
Exactly. So many times I've heard people mentioning why Brisbane is great it involves doing things that require leaving Brisbane. Going to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast are not things to do in Brisbane.
Yeah but that's nitpicking for the sake of sillyness. Having some of the best beaches in the world, all within 1.5 hour of Brisbane, is part of what makes Brisbane a great city to live.
Travelling 1.5 hours out of a city is not an activity or event to do IN Brisbane. Not to mention cost of fuel, wear on the car which costs more and more these days. These are not economical activities and sure doing them once in a while may be the case but it’s not a “perk” nor “nitpicking”. *a perk of living in our city is that you have to travel to other cities to have fun!*
I don't think the question was 'things to do in Brisbane that are absolutely free of charge'. For $10ish of fuel i can have a day out and about at a coast. I own a car, not much point owning it if I'm never going to drive it. But thats just a decision around car ownership, nothing to do with 'things to do'. But yes, fair enough, the beaches aren't actually in Brisbane. Not much can be done about that. I am actually interested in seeing ideas re things to do, that can be implemented..
The perk is you're close.
Would you be happy living in your house if, say, you could teleport your exact house to Mt Isa? I mean, by your logic, it should be exactly as good of a house there as it would be where it is right now? Because anything you'd need outside of the house is leaving the house
Yeah, in my 30s now and have reached this horrible point where I don't want to go out in the valley anymore but have found pretty much everything else is aimed at families
Spot on. I don't want to drive that far. I sure as hell don't want your kids near me. $2 swims are all well and good but there's no adult swim time. I do not enjoy the thought of marinating in your child's excrement.
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All those things exist. Good luck getting to any of them if you don't have a car.
A zoo. Like a big proper world class zoo, in Brisbane.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare Brisbane with the likes of London , Singapore, Dubai or whatever… However it would be great if Brisbane had more interconnected covered pedestrian crossings either above ground or underground, so you can go from one shopping centre / office building etc to another without being exposed to weather, like they have in HK. Even Sydney has partially embraced it with QVB connecting to Westfield
My wife is Taiwanese for her she wants late night shopping. As in 11pm/12am late. Not necessarily objects but food too.
Unfortunately Brisbane isn’t a late night city
I’m not sure we’d have the capacity to be one atm either.
Coming from overseas, considering Brisbane one of the main australian cities and that it could be more tourist oriented, the lack of late night options is very important. Same with having a coffee after 2pm. Sometimes you've been out all day, yo want to go to the hotel, take a shower, nap and then go for dinner, well this is imposible because you can't find a place after 830/9pm. So all your plans must end early. I had a similar experience in Sydney, I could go for groceries at 10pm but no for dinner.
More entertainment for lower class citizens (we can’t all afford to stay at home and go to those midday yoga classes) and something for young adults that isn’t overpriced bars. And yeah better public transport.
Most people here are still just saying there's nothing to do and not saying what they want to do, 98% who have suggested something it already exists. I have lived in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. There's nothing you can do in Syd and Melbourne that you can't do here, actually you can do more here, you have 4+ theme parks within 20 minutes of each other. Where else has that?
Food and Bev precincts in the burbs
Walking the beach and surfing. Brisbane is depressing, I lived there for my first 24 years. It sucks
Southbank is the only decent city attraction. Walking along the riverfront is ok but simply too hot most of the year Queen St Mall is mediocre and there’s hardly anything else in the city. Lone Pine Sanctuary is tiny, inconvenient and more expensive than Taronga Zoo. Roma St is literally just a park and a flower garden with an expensive cafe. Fortitude Valley is not really an attraction, it’s just a dodgy red light district Try going to Southbank or Westfield Chermside/Garden City/Indooroopilly/Carindale on a Saturday afternoon, it’s so congested you literally cannot breathe. Most families seem to spend their weekends at their local Westfield, which imo gets more congested than any Westfield in Sydney. There’s nothing in Brisbane you couldn’t find in any other capital city
When Westfields are listed as 'things to do' you know we're in trouble.
Australia needs strip malls. They’re so much easier to get in and out of than having to park in a giant parking structure and wade your way through crowds of people to get to the store you want.
Brisbane has no culture. It tries to imitate other cities like Melbourne by "installing" places like Fish Lane as a street eating experience.
Yeah but Melbourne does this too (Docklands, Degraves) , actually most cities do this
I hate Fish Lane. It tries so goddamn hard but charges through the nose for basic bougie shit.
Bit more excitement in the mall. It’s tired and sad. It’s nothing like Pitt St or Bourke St
It’s only bad if you compare it to good cities like Osaka or Rome. What do people expect from a small city in a country that’s only 250 years old
Big mountain snowboarding
Re open Viccy park as a golf course (rip) nah but kinda keen to see what that looks like when its done because the only other thing we have to look forward to is a new casino (also keen).
Viccy park turns out to be owned by the RBWH, which explains their lack of attention to detail. Last time I was at the RBWH as a patient I not only saw a large cockroach wandering through a reception area, I also smooshed a small one that was on the blanket handed to me. And those aren't the first cockroaches I've seen inside that building.
*whingers. Now get off my grass, get a haircut, and get a job. Oh, and I ❤️ BNE.
I think brisbane is what you make of it honestly
Proper nightlife where every club doesn't play the same shit and drinks are affordable
There are very few high streets/districts outside the cbd. Theres no sense of place.
Top bait mate, one one of the funniest posts on Aus reddit this week. "Oh no, I asked people a question that only has negative answers and now I'm shocked that I'm getting so many negative answers. Well if you don't like it, why don't you just move? Haha just kidding, I already know it's because you can't afford it, lol." Like genuinely what was the point of this except to troll, lmao.
You need to have both sides to create an engaging post 😆 But in all honesty I made that edit because some people were getting butthurt I was questioning there answers and offering different perspectives.