Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)

Why go

The centre brings theatre, dance, music and large stage productions into one cultural precinct. The Lyric Theatre and Concert Hall offer different kinds of experience, so the chosen performance matters more than a generic visit to the building. A show pairs easily with time elsewhere on South Bank.

What to look for

• The Lyric Theatre's large stage setting.
• The Concert Hall for music performances.
• The cluster of performance spaces within the cultural precinct.

The full story

QPAC was planned as part of a broader Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank. Architect Robin Gibson's design placed performance alongside the state's major museum and gallery buildings, creating a precinct where different art forms could be visited together. The centre opened in 1985 and developed a range of rooms rather than one all-purpose auditorium. That matters to a visitor: an opera or musical in the Lyric Theatre feels different from a concert in the Concert Hall or a smaller theatre work elsewhere in the complex. The building is best understood through the event you attend, but its place in the cultural precinct also shows Brisbane's decision to gather major public arts institutions beside the river. The programme continually changes the way visitors encounter these rooms.

Useful to know

• Choose a performance first, then confirm its venue and arrival details.
• Leave time to orient yourself among QPAC's separate performance spaces.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.