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The Brisbane art galleries to lose yourself in

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
Whether you’re an art connoisseur or simply craving fresh inspiration, the best Brisbane art galleries curate eye-opening creativity.

In my opinion, a trip to any big city isn’t complete without stickybeaking through its artistic epicentres, and Brisbane flows with treasures. I love its major art galleries the most, with many found at South Bank in the centre of town, but there’s also outdoor installations and more low-key exhibits that reliably entertain. Here, my guide to the best Brisbane art galleries to pave a path of wide-eyed wonderment.

In short

If you only visit one of the best Brisbane art galleries, make it QAGOMA, the South Bank double-header. The modern facility (Gallery of Modern Art) reminds me of one of New York City’s soul-stirring art hubs, while the Queensland Art Gallery’s grand lobby instils deep tranquillity.

The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)

a woman admiring artworks at The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
QAGOMA features revolutionary exhibitions. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

QAGOMA collectively labels two riverside galleries sitting a mere 150 metres apart in South Bank’s Queensland Cultural Centre – and I can’t get enough of either of them. The Queensland Art Gallery offers more of your traditional art experience (with the bonus of a staggeringly grand lobby and a quaint sculpture garden), while the Gallery of Modern Art is, you guessed it, the modern one and home to incredible contemporary artists including Danish-Icelandic Olafur Eliasson whose ‘Presence’ exhibition will light up the end of December 2025 and the first half of 2026. Together, they hold more than 20,000 works of historical, modern, and contemporary art, including iconic Indigenous and Australian collections. Both Brisbane art galleries are open daily from 10am until 5pm and both are incredibly mindful of visitors with access needs – think loanable wheelchairs, sensory kits, assisted hearing services, disabled parking spots and more.

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed

Address: Stanley Pl, South Brisbane

Birrunga Gallery

artworks displayed at Birrunga Gallery & Dining, Brisbane
Birrunga Wiradyuri’s creative works span diverse mediums. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

An incredible spot to spy some of the most moving First Nations artwork in the city, Birrunga Gallery is owned and run by Wiradyuri man Birrunga Wiradyuri, an artist himself. His passion creates a special space as creative works span so many different mediums including painting, dance, music, performance, storytelling sessions and more. Step inside to immerse yourself in the history of our beautiful land while an on-site cafe dishes up plates that embrace native ingredients and fresh local produce. It’s open from Monday to Friday, 7am until 5pm, and you’ll need to find street parking as there’s no car park attached to this Brisbane art gallery.

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed

Address: 19 Cribb St, Milton

Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery

artworks by Greg Chambers at Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery
The vibrant artworks of Greg Chambers liven up the entertainment precinct of Fish Lane. (Image: Brisbane City Council)

Move over, Melbourne. Brisbane embraces its sun-drenched outdoor spaces by dotting them with vibrant artworks for all to enjoy. I especially love the big cheesy ‘Brisbane’ sign on the Brisbane River at South Bank (as do my kids who climb through the letters to find impromptu hidey holes). The Brisbane City Council Outdoor Gallery was created to transform traditionally unexpected canvases, like laneways and car parks, into imaginative, curious and engaging spaces. From time to time, the council even stages exhibitions throughout its streets with ‘Amplify Me!’ unveiled in November 2025 and running until October 25, 2026.

Admission: Free

Address: City-wide

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Museum of Brisbane

a family admiring artworks inside the Museum of Brisbane
Admire multiple exhibitions at the Museum of Brisbane. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

A totally hidden gem, despite its loaded title. The Museum of Brisbane is located on the third floor of Brisbane City Hall, an unsuspecting spot I love to escape to when the hustle and bustle of the city (or heat alone) proves too much. One of the best Brisbane art galleries, it’s filled with multiple exhibitions at a time, in addition to tours of the iconic Clock Tower that run every 15 minutes from 10:15am until 4:45 pm. Up your alley? Just make sure you book in advance because spots are limited – the views across the city are that good. It’s open from 10am until 5pm daily and the museum itself welcomes visitors with access needs, but please note that the Clock Tower is not accessible.

Admission: Free

Address: Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide St, Brisbane

Brisbane Powerhouse

Brisbane Powerhouse as seen from above
Perched on the waterfront, Brisbane Powerhouse has long been a creativity hub overlooking the Brisbane River. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The Brisbane Powerhouse is a hub for creativity, art and innovation, set in digs that stare straight out over the Brisbane River. While not exclusively an art gallery, the space is home to a large collection of permanent creative works and temporary installations. It also dons a bunch of heritage-listed graffiti from artists including Lister, Blek le Rat, Kasino and Ben Reeves. Touring big-ticket exhibitions include the World Press Photo Exhibition and the Brisbane Portrait Prize so you can expect huge crowds when something’s in town. The cherry on top? This Brisbane art gallery is also home to Bar Alto, one of the best restaurants in Brisbane, so lunch is sorted. It’s open daily from 9am until late and there’s an on-site car park with paid spaces.

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed

Address: 119 Lamington St, New Farm

QUT Art Museum

Installation view of 'Thinking into Being' at QUT Art Museum
‘Thinking into Being’ installation by Emma Coulter at QUT Art Museum.

The Queensland University of Technology’s artistic centre, QUT Art Museum, exhibits more than 2000 objects, including paintings and sculptures, predominantly from Australian artists. The exhibitions are mostly contemporary, technology-enabled or in relation to future tech and innovation so you can expect some mind-blowing action. In December 2025, the space was undergoing repairs due to storm damage, so check the website to see if they’re open during your next Brisbane visit. In much better news, QUT Art Museum’s sister gallery, the William Robinson Gallery, is proudly dedicated to the works by Australia’s pre-eminent landscape artist, William Robinson, so it’s also worth a steady gander.

Admission: Free

Address: Queensland University of Technology 2, George St, Brisbane

Metro Arts

Metro Arts exhibits both visual art and performance, offering a closer look at experimental boundary-pushing schools of thought. Throughout the year, the Brisbane art gallery plays host to guest artists in residence as they extend and experiment with their practice to create new contemporary masterpieces. There are also a series of exhibitions put on over the year. It’s open from Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm, and there’s ample parking within West Village, where the gallery is located.

Admission: Free for art exhibitions, while live events are ticketed

Address: 97 Boundary St, West End

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Woolloongabba Art Gallery

artworks displayed inside Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane
Woolloongabba Art Gallery’s ethos is steeped in cultural appreciation.

The Woolloongabba Art Gallery is dedicated to a stylistically varied selection of local and Australasian art. The message, overall? Deep cultural appreciation, where sourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is only done through 100 per cent owned and operated systems in and around Brisbane. Inside, there are three exhibition spaces to explore, spanning a multitude of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture and beyond. It’s open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am until 5pm, plus Saturday from 10am until 3pm. There’s a small car park located right behind the gallery but if it’s full, it’s not too hard to find street parking.

Admission: Free

Address: 613 Stanley St, Woolloongabba

Judith Wright Arts Centre

A performance space for visual arts, and a thriving centre for the development of original contemporary works, the Judith Wright Arts Centre celebrates all styles including cabaret, circus, dance and more. Some of the organisations within the arts centre that regularly stage performances include the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, BlakDance, Circa and the Institute of Modern Art (more on that beauty just below). Visitors should note there’s no on-site parking, but several external parking lots are located within walking distance.

Admission: Free, but performances are typically ticketed

Address: 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Institute of Modern Art

Inside the Judith Wright Arts Centre, the Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley is a totally interactive art space that demands its own special mention. Home to genuinely groundbreaking exhibitions, it showcases works that strive to push the boundaries of everything we think we know. It’s a great spot for discovering underrepresented artists that might just shake up your perspective entirely. There’s no on-site parking, but you can leave your wheels in a nearby parking lot.

Admission: Free

Address: Ground Floor, Judith Wright Arts Centre, 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Jan Murphy Gallery

artworks on display at Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
See contemporary art of the highest calibre. (Image: Jan Murphy Gallery)

Looking for a traditional art gallery with white walls and rotating painting exhibitions? Jan Murphy Gallery is the spot, opened in 1995 as a dedicated seller of contemporary art of the highest calibre. Large windows facing Brunswick Street showcase the newest exhibitions, luring passers-by through an always fascinating peek before opening their eyes to serious gems. It’s open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am until 5pm.

Admission: Free

Address: 486 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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What it’s really like to stay on the world’s largest sand island

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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    Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

    The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

    But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

    Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

    Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

    Exploring K’gari

    ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island
    Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

    This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

    If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

    The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

    kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island
    Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

    If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

    While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise. Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

    The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

    Unwind at sunset

    two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort
    Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

    As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

    The Sunset Bar, located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

    When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

    Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

    Indulge and disconnect

    woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa
    Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

    The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

    Getting there

    kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island
    The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.