The full program for Brisbane’s Melt Festival has been revealed, with a number of new and returning events set for the annual queer arts and culture celebration.
Spanning 18 days and over 60 venues, this year’s festival will bring together Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community and allies for more than 100 performance and events. The program embraces inclusivity, diversity and creativity, with a lineup including pageants, parades, protests, musical theatre, comedy, and visual arts.
The 2025 edition, which will run from October 22nd-November 9th, will “turn the volume up” on queer joy, according to Executive Producer Emmie Paranthoiene.
“We’re celebrating the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ voices, from bold new talent to iconic artists who continue to break boundaries with this diverse program. Melt is a love letter to our community and everyone’s invited to the party,” she said.
New to the program this year, Melting Pot is a pop-up venue at Brisbane Powerhouse that will take place each weekend of the festival. Created in collaboration with queer music collective QUIVR, it will feature performance, music, and community, including Quiet on Set with Hope D, queer line dancing with Saddle Club, Melt artist showcases, DJs, and — for the first time — heats for the Blak drag pageant Miss First Nation 2025.
The pageant is making a debut in Brisbane, following a successful all-stars edition at Sydney World Pride 2023.
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The festival will also welcome musical theatre star Bernadette Peters for her first Australian show in over a decade. An Evening with Bernadette Peters will hit the Brisbane Convention Centre on October 24th for one night only.
Contemporary artist Gerwyn Davies will unveil a new exhibition at the festival, titled Shimmer, in collaboration with trans and gender diverse young people from Open Doors Youth Service. On display at the Museum of Brisbane and amplified via a city-wide outdoor installation, it will feature visuals and sculptural costumes that celebrate queer identity, self-expression, resilience, and the power of chosen visibility.
Also on debut is Sugar, a cabaret from Tomáš Kantor that explores sex, power, and luxury, set to pop hits from the likes of Melt Festival alum Chappell Roan.
Several theatrical performances will feature at the festival, including Rhythmology which centres around a return to core values and creative identity, and The Lucky Country set to take a fearless look at protest, power, and national identity.
Audiences will also hear from acclaimed actor and activist Zoe Terakes live in conversation, and will hear from comedian, drag artist, and singer Reuben Kaye in a show called EnGORGed.
Elsewhere, fan favourite Urzila Carlson will return to the city for two encore shows following last year’s popular Just Jokes comedy tour, while BRIEFS: Jealousss will return with “high-octane drag, circus and mischief.” Cult hit Queer PowerPoint also returns by popular demand, as do the River Pride Parade and River Pride Picnic. Also on the schedule is Play Date, a high-energy disco for families and children.
Also back for another year is Shandy and GoGo Bumhole who will wrestle it out at Hole-Mania 2: The Second Coming, as well as a burlesque show from Reverie, the Architects of Sound featuring Valencia Low-Fi, Amaro Mayfair, and Sutro, the Brisbane Spikers Volleyball Summer Meltdown Tournament, Zelphia Mann’s King for a Day workshop, and community favourites Tropical Fruits and QUIVR.
Finally, Melt Festival will close out with Meltdown, a finale curated by GoGo Bumhole and Shandy featuring pop-up performances, DJs, and “unpredictable delights”.
Brisbane’s Arts Councillor and Chair for Community, Vicki Howard, said she is proud to support events that “bring people together” like Melt Festival.
“Melt Festival is a celebration of the bold, creative, and inclusive spirit that makes Brisbane shine,” she said. “From world-class performances to vibrant community connections, this festival embodies our city’s heart and is part of what makes us the lifestyle capital of Australia.”
