For more than a century, Boggo Road Gaol was the most notorious place not just in Brisbane, but in Queensland. Long closed, these days it welcomes tourists through its gates. The infamous Dutton Park site has also played host to movie nights, and even seen a few yoga stretches unfurl in its heritage-listed surroundings — and now it's about to nab its own music fest.
At Jailbreak Festival, The Jensens, Great Såge, Bad Sext, Two and a Half Elephants and more will play the spot, although there's no need to sneak your way in or out to hear their alt-rock tunes. Instead, just nab a ticket to head along from 6pm on Saturday, March 23. And while you're dancing and drinking — yep, it's a licensed event — you'll also be nodding to a piece of local history.
The fest's name isn't just an obvious joke, or a nod to a classic AC/DC track. Instead, it stems from Boggo Road Gaol's own past. Back in 1991, the prison experienced its own jailbreak, with four prisoners hijacking a garbage truck and just driving it straight through the gates.