The Best Live Music Venues In Brisbane

Put on your dancing shoes and check out Brisbane’s renowned live music scene.

From the early days of The Saints and the Go-Betweens, to the meteoric rise of Powderfinger and Regurgitator in the 1990s, to today’s homegrown heroes Violent Soho gracing the cover of Rolling Stone magazine — the Brisbane music scene has always raged strong.

Cheap rents in the early ’90s in the former ‘wasteland’ of Fortitude Valley sparked rehearsal spaces and venues throughout the area. The music scene flourished, buoyed by community radio station 4ZZZ, as well as attentive street press and the support of industry body QMusic.

This progress came under threat in the early 2000s when inhabitants of newly constructed residential buildings lodged noise complaints and threatened to destroy the very thing that drew them to the area.

But Brisbane’s music scene fought back. After consultation with residents, as well as music venues and businesses within Fortitude Valley, the area was zoned a special entertainment precinct in July 2006 — allowing the area to remain ‘loud and proud’.

Want to experience this magic for yourself? Get along to the following Brisbane music venues.

Brisbane concert venues

Nothing beats the enthralling production of a great concert in a spacious venue with a high-quality sound system and a like-minded crowd. Here are some of the best concert venues Brisbane has to offer.

1. The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

As one of the oldest and most beloved live music venues in Brisbane, The Zoo has become quite the cult venue.

Known for promoting up-and-coming bands and playing host to international favourites, such as The Pixies, Paul Kelly, and Silverchair (to name a few). There’s a bar inside, as well as pool tables if you fancy a game.

Band playing at The Zoo in Brisbane — The Zoo is one of the oldest and most beloved live music venues in Brisbane.

2. The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Valley’s gorgeous 1917 Art Deco venue The Tivoli is a major touring act destination and is considered to be one of Australia’s most beautiful performance venues.

This performance space offers a decadent program of local and international work and has previously played host to many Australian music heroes, such as Powderfinger and Missy Higgins, along with major international artists like Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift.

Pink and purple stage lights at the Tivoli in Brisbane — The Tivoli has hosted the likes of Taylor Swift and Bob Dylan.

3. Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley

As the largest ballroom and theatre-styled (art-deco) venue in Australia, Fortitude Music Hall is inspired by some of the world’s most loved live music venues, while still paying homage to the venues of Brisbane’s past. This concert venue features an array of genres from rock to dance to classical to metal and everything in between.

The Flaming Lips playing at Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane. — Fortitude Music Hall is the largest ballroom and theatre-styled (art-deco) venue in Australia. (Image: Claudia Ciapocha)

4. Riverstage, Brisbane City

Located in the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane City Council’s Riverstage outdoor venue hosts many local, national, and international concerts and events each year.

From family and community shows to large-scale music concerts such as Ed Sheeran and Florence and the Machine, a night dancing here under the stars is one for your Brisbane bucket list.

Other concert venues in Brisbane to consider are Brisbane Entertainment Centre , Brisbane Powerhouse , The Princess Theatre , Crowbar (punk and hardcore metal), and Sirromet Winery for its Day on the Green events.

Riverstage Located in the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane. — Riverstage is located in the City Botanic Gardens.

Bars and pubs with live music in Brisbane

For a late-night boogie with a cheeky beverage, here are some of the best Brisbane bars and pubs with live music.

5. Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley

Looking for cosy couch vibes? Head to Black Bear Lodge for live music, whisky, beer, and cocktails. With timber floors, distressed brick walls, dim lighting, and a red velvet-curtained stage, this is a warm and welcoming live music venue.

6. Doo-Bop Bar, Brisbane City

Doo-Bop Bar is a multi-level live music venue in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD offering two spaces to get your live music fix.

The Basement Bar has blues, soul, funk and rock on Friday and Saturday nights, while the Piano Bar on the ground level has Brisbane’s only dedicated piano acts, five nights a week.

Exterior of Doo-Bop Bar in Brisbane — Doo-Bop Bar has two spaces to get your live music fix.

7. Greaser, Fortitude Valley

An edgy basement bar in The Prince Consort Hotel, it’s gritty, it’s grimey — its Greaser . If this live music bar were a car, it’d be a 1938 Chevy. With graffiti-covered exposed brick walls and southern fried chicken to devour, it’s an exciting melting pot for undiscovered indie bands.

Greaser live music venue in Brisbane. — Greaser is an edgy basement bar.

8. The Junk Bar, Ashgrove

One of Brisbane’s best-kept secrets, The Junk Bar is a hole-in-the-wall bar famous for its unique, intimate, eclectic vibe, offering excellent live tunes and tasty cocktails in a relaxing vintage setting. If there’s not a live act playing, you can sink into a couch and listen to their hand-picked vinyl soundtrack.

Other Brisbane bars and pubs with live music to consider are The End Bar , Ric’s Bar , The Brightside Brisbane , Brooklyn Standard (blues, funk, and soul), Suzie Wongs Good Time Bar , The Sound Garden , O’Skulligans (a rock n roll lounge bar with a hint of Irish), It’s Still a Secret , The Outpost , and Press Club .

Inside The Junk Bar in Brisbane. — The Junk Bar is a hole-in-the-wall bar famous for its unique, intimate, eclectic vibe.

Restaurants with live music

For dinner and show vibes, make a note of the following Brisbane restaurants offering live music.

9. The Triffid, Newstead

The Triffid is the brainchild of former Powderfinger bassist, John “JC" Collins. Once a WWII commercial hangar, it’s now a live music venue bringing the best of international, national, and local acts to Brisbane.

There’s also a beer garden where you can hang out day or night to catch a free gig and delicious food – including burgers, quesadillas and other pub fare classics.

Artist performing at The Triffid live music venue in Brisbane — The Triffid is one of the best live music venues in Brisbane. (Image: Will Wagner)

10. The Bearded Lady, West End

Fondly known as The Beardy, The Bearded Lady is an intimate small bar and live music venue for both emerging and established artists. The venue hosts concerts for a wide range of genres such as Cigány Weaver (folk-jazz) and 51st Avenue (electronic dance music).

The food menu is vegan and vegetarian friendly, including rice paper dumplings, nachos, and risotto.

Guitar and food at The Bearded Lady. — The Bearded Lady has a vegan and vegetarian-friendly menu.

11. Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

Get up close and personal with Brisbane’s hottest live jazz bar – Brisbane Jazz Club . Soak up world-class music as you wine and dine in a legendary setting. With the Story Bridge lit up and piano fingers dancing across the keyboard, a night here is unforgettable.

12. Lefty’s Music Hall, Petrie Terrace

You’ll find old-timey Americana opulence on Caxton Street, thanks to Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall . What looks like a decadent saloon is home to the best local musical talent and American diner-style meals.

Interior of Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall in Brisbane. — Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall looks like a decadent saloon.

Other Brisbane restaurants with live music to consider are Wooly Mammoth Mane Stage , Johnny Ringo’s (country rock), and Queensport Tavern .

Check out our guide on Brisbane for more tips and travel advice.

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.

The best live music venues in Brisbane