Overview
If you live in Brisbane, you've heard all about the city's connections with Asia; we're the home of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, which is currently gracing Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery or Modern Art for the tenth time, and we've also hosted the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, after all. Since 2013, the BrisAsia Festival has been on that list as well, paying homage to the many cultures that originated from the continent.
Timed around Lunar New Year — and running from Tuesday, February 1–Sunday, February 20 this year — the 2022 program features yet another mix of traditional and contemporary Asian arts, channelled into events across Brisbane. And while some of the unmistakable highlights will treat your stomach — a brand-new laneway tea festival in South Brisbane's Fish Lane, plus a Southside by Night event at Willawong that'll combine street food with a car meet (yes, think Fast and Furious vibes) — that's just the beginning of the fun.
Overall, there's 50-plus events taking place in ten Brisbane suburbs, so you won't be lacking in things to do. The fest will sneakily start a few days early, on Friday, January 28 and Saturday, January 29, to celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year, before starting its music program at venues around town — QPAC's Melbourne Street Green, The Zoo and Queen Street Mall included — and hosting a big (and free) launch party at Fortitude Music Hall.
Elsewhere, you can attend an Asian-pop celebration and get decked out in bright hues at the returning Holi – Festival of Colours — or scope out the new BrisAsia Fashion Festival, which'll focus on labels and designers with Asian, Indigenous and international heritages.
Plus, Brissie's Asian Australian comedians will also take to the stage for a night of standup comedy, the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens will host a night of love songs from around the globe in the lead up to Valentine's Day, and digital storytelling initiative Mother's Table will showcase local restaurant owners Maggie Nguyen, Mie Mie Wing Kee and Taro Akimoto chatting about their eateries and signature dishes.
BrisAsia 2022 runs from Tuesday, February 1–Sunday, February 20. For further details, head to the event's website.
Top image: Kim Borg, Ozwide Photography.