Powerhouse move for Brisbane Writers Festival
We never saw it coming – Brisbane Writers Festival is moving to Brisbane Powerhouse in an arts coup that will rock the local landscape.
In the arts landscape of Brisbane, it’s a seismic shift, make that an earthquake – Brisbane Writers Festival is moving to Brisbane Powerhouse next year.
It’s something of a shock announcement because the State Library of Queensland has always seemed such a perfect fit. But apparently the Brisbane Powerhouse move is to accommodate growing crowds. Brisbane Powerhouse already draws crowds to the bookish events it holds, as anyone who went to hear Willian Dalrymple recently will testify. He was like a rock star. They had to add an extra show in the Powerhouse Theatre.
It’s all about change with BWF, which will shift to later in the year and be held October 9-12 when the jacarandas are blooming in nearby New Farm Park.
After two years of record-breaking ticket sales and attendances, BWF artistic director Jackie Ryan says she is delighted the festival can now offer its writers and audiences the opportunity to enjoy the larger theatres, more intimate event spaces and expanded dining options offered by Brisbane Powerhouse.
During BWF, Brisbane Powerhouse’s central Turbine Platform will be transformed into a giant bookshop operated by new partners Avid Reader and Riverbend Books, two of Brisbane’s most loved independent bookstores.
“The visually stunning Brisbane Powerhouse is well established as one of the most popular and exciting event destinations in our city, which makes it the perfect new home for Brisbane Writers Festival as our audiences and our ambitions grow,” Ryan says.
“In 2025 and beyond, festival fans can look forward to BWF’s page-turning program of stimulating live events and talks, featuring some of the most loved authors in Australia and internationally, in the diverse riverside spaces offered by Brisbane Powerhouse.
“I’m also excited by our move to October, as this will put BWF at the forefront of the pre-Christmas season when so many new blockbuster books are released.”
Brisbane Powerhouse CEO/artistic director Kate Gould says she is thrilled to welcome BWF to the Powerhouse’s stellar line-up of cultural festivals and events in 2025.
Subscribe for updates
“Brisbane Powerhouse has a devoted audience for writers and literature, making Brisbane Writers Festival the perfect partner for a venue-wide takeover,” she says. “Together we will transform Brisbane Powerhouse, inside and out, to deliver an extraordinary literary celebration, but still with the relaxed Brisbane vibe that defines this much-loved event.”
Gould has turned Brisbane Powerhouse into, well, a powerhouse for the arts in Brisbane. The BWF 2025 program will be announced mid-next year.
bwf.org.au