Overview
There's something about the colder months of the year that seems to make late-night dining, art and music illuminated by neon lights the best thing you can do with your time in Australia. Sydney calls it Vivid, Melbourne calls it RISING, and it was only a matter of time before Brisbane followed suit, adapting a typically springtime event for the winter season.
Earlier this year, news broke that Night Feast, which debuted back in 2023 and has typically been an event for the defrosting months, would return in the depths of winter this year. As such, you'll be fighting the colder nights with warmer plates and brighter lights in the Brisbane Powerhouse precinct. But as of today, we know at least one of this year's headline events is taking place during daylight hours.
Atmosphere Photography
That headline occasion is Better Off Red, a decadent, one-day-only long lunch organised in partnership with Bosco and Blackbird Bar & Grill taking place on Sunday, August 16. Unfolding on the Performance Lawn space in the Powerhouse grounds, the event promises bold flavours, breathtaking performances and artful theatrics — all in the name of celebrating all things crimson.
The menu, designed to be shared and enjoyed slowly by Simon Hill and Jake Nicholson of Bosco and Blackbird, respectively, follows that theme with fiery dedication. Expect jamón serrano with fire-roasted peppers and migas, grilled tiger prawns with romesco and chorizo glazed in hard cider, Angus rib eye carved off the bone with red wine jus and wood barbecued cumin-spiced spring lamb with quince and mint, all balanced by and paired with seasonal accompaniments poured by D'Arenberg wines.
Blackbird Bar & Grill
As Simon Hill explains, "As if Night Feast wasn't indulgent enough, Better Off Red is an opportunity to push things even further. By bringing together the very best of Bosco and Blackbird and dialling every culinary element up to its fullest expression, Better Off Red will be a bold, multi-sensory food and wine experience that's set to become a true centrepiece of the festival."
Introducing the theatrical components of the event, Louise Bezzina, CEO and Artistic Director at Brisbane Powerhouse, says, "For my first season at the helm of Night Feast, we wanted to challenge the traditional festival format by introducing a truly visceral, daylight dimension to our program. 'Better Off Red is more than a long lunch; it is a theatrical collision of fine dining and performance art that embodies the Night Feast spirit, even under the midday sun."
Markus Ravik
Better Off Red will take place from 12–3pm on Sunday, August 16, tickets are on sale now. For more information on Night Feast, visit the website.