We’re With the Band: Top Spots for Live Music in Brisbane

If there’s one thing our city is great at, it’s supporting a local live music scene. With legacy and fledgling venues scattered throughout the city, from West End to Fortitude Valley, whatever type of tunes take your fancy; Brisbane has a home for it. Americana? Tick. Post-punk? Tick! Synthwave? You betcha!

Whatever you’re in the mood for, consider your search for the best live music in Brisbane over — just don’t forget to keep this edit handy.

Mirrorball Ministries

From the tastemakers behind live music favourites Can You Keep a Secret? and It’s Still a Secret, this 1980s-themed venue is a slice of pure delight. A giant mirror ball takes pride of place, scattering glittery drops of light, while vintage furniture is strewn about the place, in an homage to our favourite room — the lounge room. They’ve got a chockers lineup, so there’s usually plenty to see. Take a peek at what’s on here and plan your visit accordingly.

3/126 Boundary Street, West End

The Triffid

Housed in a reimagined WWII hangar, The Triffid has evolved into a destination for local and international acts. Part beer garden, part live music venue, careful thought and planning went into creating this acoustically sound, 800-person capacity venue. Expect a lineup of both local and international acts taking place within this community-minded space.

7-9 Stratton Street, Newstead

It’s Still A Secret

Once known as the Milk Factory, this cosy space beneath the 130-year-old Coronation Hotel in South Brisbane transports you straight to the 70s, with warm hues of orange, olive and mahogany at every turn. There’s space for an intimate live show indoors, but the beer garden plays host to live music on sunny weekend days.

48 Montague Road, South Brisbane

The Tivoli

Modelled on the Paradis Latin in Paris, The Tivoli is one of Brisbane’s most beautiful venues.

Retaining much of its original art deco aesthetic, this spacious event space has housed some of Australia’s biggest live music exports, as well as welcoming many international visitors to the stage.

52 Costin Street, Fortitude Valley

Princess Theatre 

At 138 years young, the Princess Theatre is Brisbane’s oldest theatre. This grand dame has seen many reinventions over her years, from a picture theatre to a rag merchant, a paper wholesaler and even an engineering firm, before returning to the entertainment scene.

Featuring a state-of-the-art performance auditorium that holds a standing capacity of 900 or a seated capacity of 500, the Princess also includes four bars, a public cafe, private event spaces, a rehearsal room and an outdoor courtyard.

8 Annerley Road, Woolloongabba

Suzie Wong’s Good Time Bar 

This grungy little Hawaiian-inspired surf shack bar promises good times in droves, with live music happening four nights a week, so you can get your fix almost any time. From acoustic sets to country, rock ‘n’ roll or blues, Suzie Wongs Good Time Bar puts on a spectacular show every time.

678 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Music Hall

One of Brisbane’s newest venues, and Australia’s largest ballroom-style theatre, the Fortitude Music Hall truly takes centre stage when it comes to the best venues in our city.

With a 3000-person standing capacity (1200 seated), this gorgeous building pays homage to iconic venues that came before it, in particular Festival Hall, Cloudland and the Fillmore Philadelphia.

With an art deco-inspired interior and the most stunning chandelier, this venue will leave a lasting impression.

312 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

Lefty’s Music Hall

A popular spot amongst live music lovers and bar-hoppers alike, Lefty’s Music Hall is one of Brisbane’s quirkiest spots to catch a gig. Lefty’s reliably serves up southern-style food, whiskey and live tunes. Watch from the mezzanine above, or boot scoot across the dancefloor to live music in Brisbane like you’ve never seen before.

If you’re a lover of rockabilly, country and Americana rock, this is the place to be.

15 Caxton Street, Petrie Terrace

Black Bear Lodge

You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t quite stumbled upon Black Bear Lodge, despite its central location in the Valley Mall. Enter via an unassuming staircase and you’ll find yourself in a narrow bar with a distressed brick aesthetic and squishy, candlelit booths.

Towards the back of the venue, separated by a heavy curtain is a cosy space for locals to soak up live music in a venue that feels like home.

Level 1, 322 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

Greaser

Housed in the underground cellars of the Prince Consort Hotel, Greaser is the perfect mix of grunge, rockabilly and American diner. With an entrance tucked discreetly down an alleyway off Brunswick Street, weave your way inside through the corridor to the exposed brick belly of this historic building.

Brisbane’s up-and-coming bands find their feet with a healthy rotation of new and seasoned talent taking the stage every week… and there’s plenty of room to dance, too.

259 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

Loved our edit of the best spots in Brisbane for live music and looking for more late-night fun? For an alfresco afternoon, check out our lineup of the city’s coolest rooftop bars. To take your next bar crawl underground, we have a list of Brisbane’s hidden bars.