Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) will throw open its doors on Sunday 31 August 2025, continuing its 40th anniversary celebrations with free backstage tours, workshops and entertainment for all ages.
The QPAC 40 Open Day marks a unique moment in QPAC’s packed calendar, when the public will have the rare opportunity to step behind the curtain of every theatre. (The exception is QPAC’s Glasshouse Theatre, currently under construction and opening in 2026.)
QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said the day was designed to welcome everyone in the community to celebrate 40 years of applause, connection, on-stage magic and off-stage miracles.
“Our 40th birthday celebration will pull back the curtain on QPAC, giving hundreds of people the opportunity to see and feel the workings backstage of what is soon to become Australia’s biggest performing arts centre under one roof.
It’s also a chance to discover some of the treasures of Queensland’s performing arts history while a lucky few will experience what it means to be a Lighting Operator at QPAC!
There will be free performances in the Concert Hall where internationally acclaimed organist Christopher Wrench will twice perform on QPAC’s magnificent organ. We are also offering a range of special tours including tactile tours of the QPAC Collection; step-free tour options; Auslan-interpreted tours, talks and workshops; a Deaf-led tour and self-guided tour.”
Celebrations will kick off after a Welcome to Country by Nunukul Yuggera at 9am on the Melbourne Street Green, as the stage hosts a raft of entertainment including a breaking workshop with Elements Dance Collective, followed by DJ sets by Jeremy Neale, Broadway Bingo by Outside the Jukebox, Toni Janke and Band and more.
QPAC backstage staff will lead workshops across Audio, Lighting, Staging, Stage Management and Wardrobe on the Playhouse stage. Technical activations will be rolled out on the set of Opera Queensland’s La bohème in the Lyric Theatre. And there’ll be a chance to operate a follow spot in the Cremorne Theatre, illuminating costumes and props on the stage from the QPAC Collection.
Twelve backstage tours across the day will lift the curtain on QPAC’s venues and backstage spaces, offering insights from the venue’s production team that reveal how world-class performances are brought to life in the specially-designed theatres.
Artists will create a QPAC 40 artwork on the Green, in collaboration with audiences on the day. The community is also invited to share reflections on the last 40 years and aspirations for the future as part of a collaborative art installation. Designed and facilitated by Brisbane artist and theatre designer Penny Challen, this artwork will serve as a time capsule to capture the thoughts, memories, and sentiments of QPAC’s wider community.
Two free organ recitals in the Concert Hall at 10am and 1pm by Christopher Wrench are guaranteed to fill up quickly. Visitors are encouraged to keep an eye out for pop-up performances in surprising spaces around the building from local artists throughout the day.
Part of the QPAC Collection – which comprises more than 80,000 items including costumes, photographs, set designs, programs and other ephemera – will be on display in the Lyric foyer. Collection talks will reveal the stories behind what’s on display and what’s stored away.
Two BlackCard Cultural Tours will take participants through local galleries, exhibitions and public art installations through the neighbouring Queensland Cultural Precinct and connecting them with Brisbane’s Aboriginal history. A Cultural Precinct Architecture Tour led by former Queensland Government Architect Malcolm Middleton OAM LFAIA will give insight into the beauty and legacy of Robin Gibson’s design of the Precinct.
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the Open Day offered visitors a unique behind-the-scenes look at one of Queensland’s most iconic cultural institutions.
“For 40 years, QPAC has been the beating heart of Queensland’s vibrant arts and cultural scene. The QPAC 40 Open Day is a wonderful opportunity for the public to explore the centre’s inner workings and fascinating history through backstage tours, entertainment and activities for the whole family.
“The Queensland Government has proudly supported QPAC to deliver exceptional arts experiences to more than 30 million people since opening its doors in 1985. This milestone event encourages Queenslanders to celebrate what continues to make QPAC shine ahead of its debut on the global stage at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
While the day’s festivities are free, select components of the QPAC 40 Open Day including the organ recitals, tours, workshops and backstage activities must be booked in advance via qpac.com.au.
As part of QPAC’s 40th birthday celebrations, everyone purchasing a ticket in 2025 will go in the draw to win a brand-new Hyundai TUCSON Hybrid, thanks to QPAC’s Principal Partner, Hyundai.
For further information on the QPAC 40 program and to share and submit your QPAC memories, visit the QPAC website.
The QPAC 40 Open Day runs on Sunday 31 August 2025 at Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Cultural Precinct, Corner Grey Street and Melbourne Street South Brisbane Qld 4101.
Website: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2025/qpac-is-turning-40
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/atqpac/
Photo credit: David Kelly
