There’s no chance of hibernation this winter with the return of Open Season, Brisbane’s premier program of contemporary live music and performance from May to August 2023.

Presented by two iconic live music venues – The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre – Open Season’s third outing takes the chill off Brisbane’s winter with more than 30 sizzling performances across a variety of music and performing arts genres.

From grungy, grassroots gigs and community celebrations to big-name Aussie bands and cult-following international acts, the program offers a vibrant and diverse lineup with Northeast Party House getting the party started on 27 May at The Princess Theatre.

Throwing open the doors – and borders – to international acts for the first time, Open Season welcomes UK punk icons The Damned, cult Belarus post-punk synth-pop trio, Molchat Doma, renowned songstresses Kimbra (NZ) and Weyes Blood (USA).

Joining this stellar international lineup is The Pharcyde with Masta Ace & Marco Polo (USA) in a rare ‘class of ‘93’ hip-hop collaboration taking over The Tivoli in June and prolific producers Thundercat (USA) and Tourist (UK).

PNG-born, Australian-raised singer Ngaiire partners with Queensland Symphony Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of symphonic soul at The Princess Theatre, fresh from wildly successful seasons at Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre.

Open Season’s Aussie line-up also includes funk favourites Winston Surfshirt and emerging legends King Stingray as well as Lastlings, Middle Kids, Full Flower Moon Band, First Beige, Gordi and Coterie.

Rounding out the Open Season program are three flagship projects that bring together stacked line-ups of local and national artists.

Presented in partnership with Blak Social, Blak Day Out takes over The Tivoli with some of Brisbane’s best and brightest First Nations artists including Birdz, Alf the Great, The Last Kinection and CLOE TERARE.

The Tivoli also collaborates with Harry K Productions (Fluffy) on The Glam Awards, Brisbane’s newest dedicated queer performing arts awards and club night featuring a lineup of Australia’s finest drag and queer performers.

Set Roulette is a music festival with a random twist. The Princess Theatre partners with local promoters Grain and Sunroom Management on a brand-new event where the playing schedule is decided on the day by the spin of a roulette wheel.

The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre are award-winning, heritage Brisbane venues that have cemented themselves as the city’s favourite grassroots music festival venues.

Open Season provides an opportunity for Brisbane to partner on incredible international content with creative juggernauts Dark Mofo (Hobart), RISING (Melbourne), Vivid Sydney and Illuminate Adelaide.

Open Season is supported by the Australian Government through the Live Music Australia Fund and Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund and through Arts Queensland.