QPAC

Joy, inclusion, gathering and stories will be the hero themes for 2025 at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) as it celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Since opening in April 1985, QPAC has welcomed more than 30 million people and has played host to more than 33,500 performances on its stages.

QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said the celebrations and programming would focus on the things that have made QPAC a treasured part of Queensland’s cultural landscape and ensuring the arts is accessible to as many people as possible.

“For many Queenslanders, their first experience of the magic of live performance is with us at QPAC,” Ms Healy said.

“Consequently, the best birthday present we could ask for is to have our community share their QPAC stories with us: unforgettable and life-changing moments, be it in theatre, cabaret, dance, opera, magic, circus, classical and contemporary music or musicals.

“QPAC sits on Yuggera and Turrbal land and has always been a place of storytelling. We’ll be gathering four decades’ worth of stories from our audiences and our artists, together with behind-the-scenes glimpses from our staff. We can’t wait to share these across our social media channels, online and onsite here at QPAC, putting people at the heart of our celebrations. Because without artists and audiences, we’re just bricks and mortar; it’s the community that makes QPAC.

“We have a bumper year ahead of brilliant programming – there's something for everyone – and there will also be a few milestone moments when we’ll throw the doors open, roll out the welcome mat and invite our community to celebrate with us.

“The first of those will be this Saturday 12 April for an all-day birthday celebration on our Melbourne Street Green, with free live performances throughout the day, a ‘Golden Ticket’ giveaway, backstage tours*, free coffee and birthday cupcakes (9-11am), and other interactive and engaging experiences.

“We’ll have another open-house event in late August with even more opportunities to explore QPAC in new and unexpected ways.

“Throughout the year, we’ll also dip into the massive QPAC Museum Collection of more than 80,000 items to share our fascinating history.”

Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said this Saturday’s community event would celebrate QPAC’s contribution to the state’s vibrant arts scene.

“QPAC continues to produce innovative, inspiring and creative programs that build on four decades of arts excellence,” Minister Langbroek said.

“Whether it’s presenting world premiere performances or showcasing the talent of local artists, QPAC continues to shine as one of Australia’s leading arts venues.

“The community day will have free performances, activities and tours, great local food and ticket giveaways – I encourage everyone to join in the celebrations.”

QPAC’s three signature programs will headline the Centre’s 40th birthday: Out of the Box festival, QPAC’s International Series with Ballet Preljocaj’s Swan Lake, and Clancestry festival.

Out of the Box has welcomed more than a million people throughout its lifetime with over 1,600 performances, 2,500 workshops and 9,500 free events. Also returning is the QPAC International Series, an initiative that elevated QPAC to a world-class venue, with France’s Ballet Preljocaj returning to the Lyric Theatre in May with Swan Lake.

QPAC’s annual celebration of First Nations arts and culture, Clancestry, will also be a key feature on the 40th calendar of events. Clancestry is an integral part of the fabric of QPAC’s annual program and has shone the spotlight on many remarkable First Nations artists over the years.

Ms Healy said the Centre’s 40th year would include a raft of free and paid events, tours, community activities, workshops, festivals, productions and shows.

“We’ll continue our commitment to commissioning and developing new work and we’ll highlight those artists and companies that we’ve worked with over the years and are part of the QPAC family.

“We’ll spotlight Queensland artists and collaborate with our national and international partners to bring the best to our stages for Queensland audiences.

“We’ll be announcing regional initiatives such as a program of digital screenings for the International Series across the state to ensure even more Queenslanders than ever can experience the acclaimed Ballet Preljocaj.

“Most of all, we’ll look forward to celebrating those things we all love about QPAC and opening up our home to more and more people to enjoy the arts together.”

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 please visit our website here

 *QPAC backstage tours availability is limited