Overview
Brisbanites, your winter plans can now include dancing to underground electronic tunes beneath a bridge and celebrating First Nations women in music, alongside hopping around town to see as many other gigs as you can. When the coldest season of the year arrives in the River City, so does midyear music series Open Season. For 2025, it kicked off on Sunday, May 25 and has shows on its lineup until the end of July — but it just got bigger.
When this event unveiled its first program details for this year, that was just the beginning. Now, South System joined the roster — which is where that DJ-soundtracked openair party comes in. Free to attend and taking place under the bridge in Fish Lane, it'll see Moktar hit the decks, plus Fukhed, C.Frim, Claire O'Brien and Nikitasilly.
Blak Day Out's return was already locked in, with the First Nations fest-within-the-fest taking over The Princess Theatre and forming part of QPAC's Clancestry. Also known before now: that Christine Anu is joining the party, alongside Thelma Plum and Miss Kaninna. Open Season has just confirmed that Blak Day Out's 2025 lineup is an all-female affair, however, with Stiff Gins, GLVES, Dameeeela and Kritty joining in.
Elsewhere between now and the end of July, Kita Alexander and The Dreggs are both now doing headline shows as part of Open Season. Skegss has added a second gig, while Juno Mamba, Montetna, Lunar Dirt, Asha Jefferies and Platonic Sex are among the acts that are now part of the bill as supports at various shows.
Jason Star
First launched in 2020, this Brisbane festival is all about getting everyone out and about enjoying the Queensland capital's live music scene, and celebrates its fifth birthday in 2025. Not only is it playing The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre, the venues behind the series from the outset — and Winn Lane, where it expanded to in 2024 — but it is making the Queensland Performing Arts Centre one of its homes.
Open Season's lineup also spans Iceland's Kiasmos, the Afro Cuban sounds of Ezra Collective, Grammy-nominee Kamasi Washington, Soccer Mommy, Killing Heidi playing their debut album Reflector to celebrate its 25th anniversary, DIIV touring on the back of their latest record Frog in Boiling Water and Cloud Control reuniting for the first time in over ten years. Or, you can catch Jessica Pratt, Mount Kimbie, Surprise Chef, MonoNeon, The Preatures, Skegss, Maxwell Byrne (aka Golden Vessel), Sahara Beck, Pruient, SHOUSE and The Gin Club, plus Handsome and Emma Volard at Quivr's Quiet on Set program.
Open Season 2025 Lineup
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Accomplice Collective
Blak Day Out featuring Christine Anu, Thelma Plum, Miss Kaninna, Stiff Gins, GLVES, dameeeela and Kritty
Cloud Control
DIIV
Emma Volard
Ezra Collective
Handsome
Jessica Pratt
Kamasi Washington
Kiasmos
Killing Heidi
Kita Alexander
MonoNeon
Mount Kimbie
Pale Jay
Purient
Ravyn Lenae
Sahara Beck
Shouse
Sigur Rós with the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra
Skegss
Soccer Mommy
South System at Fish Lane featuring Moktar, Fukhed, C.FRIM, Claire O'Brien &and Nikitasilly
Surprise Chef
The Dreggs
The Gin Club
The Preatures
Open Season 2025 runs from May–July. For further details, head to the event's website.
Open Season images: Chris Love, Darcy Goss, Kelsey Doyle and Lachlan Douglas.