Buzzing with events, fine food, diverse nightlife and culture, Brisbane is a sleepy little town no longer. Brisbanites have caught on, but it has taken the citizens of Sydney & Melbourne a little longer. As Brisbane continues to bloom, it seems that the rest of the country – and the world – are finally getting the message.

I was at a dinner a few weeks ago with some of the most prominent travel media in the country, at Alchemy Restaurant in Brisbane.

Located on pretty Eagle Street Pier with views over the river and the Story Bridge, the restaurant’s glass doors were shuttered away, spoiling all of the diners with the view. The bridge sparkled and the boardwalk was buzzing with Brisbanites celebrating the end of another working week.

A keynote speaker remembered how she travelled the world in search of a buzzing, vibrant city to live in and six countries later, she found herself falling back in love with her hometown that she left in search of bigger and brighter things. Her story is not uncommon.

Up until a few years ago, a chorus of sixteen year olds lamented about Brisbane’s lack of entertainment across the city. I am ashamed to admit, that I was one of them. I couldn’t wait to get on my first plane out of the country to explore the rest of the world – a journey I have only just begun. I travelled for six weeks the first time, did an exchange the next and am even now planning another five week trip away. The first time I came home, I was blinded by how exciting new cities could be. I bounced from city to city, soaking in the sights, the culture and of course, the food. I came home even more hungry for travel and began saving for my next trip away. It was only a few days before leaving for a student exchange in Paris that I saw how beautiful little Brisbane could be. Taking in the view one clear evening at the lookout on Mount Coot-tha, I wondered if I’d miss Brisbane’s balance of buzz and peacefulness.

I did miss it. I love Paris, but after living there for a little while I began to pine for the parts of Brisbane I’d failed to see before.

A Melbourne-based journalist beside me at the media dinner confided that despite being born and bred in Brisbane, after taking off in the early 80s at the tender age of 19, she hardly knew her way around the city she had once called home.

“It’s a totally different town now, I hardly recognise the place,” she mused. Like many others, including myself, she’d escaped Brisbane, looking for greener pastures.

Brisbane is an entirely different town to what it once was. Expo 88 was the fuel the town needed to start a fire, and we’ve been fanning the flames ever since. In the last 18 months, Brisbane has experienced another growth spurt as an influx of trendy new bars and restaurants burst onto the dining scene, such as Esquire, Jade Buddha, Sake, Pony, Bavarian Bier Cafe, River Bar + Kitchen and Aria on Eagle Street, Loft in West End and Alfred & Constance in Fortitude Valley to name only very few.

The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) burst onto the Brisbane scene in 2006 and has been demanding  national and international attention ever since, earning top spot as the most visited art gallery in Australia and in the Top 50 art galleries in the world.

It has played its part in drawing in droves of not only Brisbanites looking for an extra dose of culture, but huge names in the art world – in the past few years alone it has hosted the showstopping Valentino retrospective, the largest Andy Warhol exhibit in Australia, the world’s first exhibit of Henri Matisse‘s work on paper, The Prado‘s finest works and was the first English-speaking country to host Pablo Picasso‘s personal art collection.

It also is the only art gallery in Australia with a dedicated children’s art centre and it includes children’s activities & explanations with every exhibition – making internationally renowned artwork accessible to children, youth and also the more art-illiterate among us. It’s accessibility and inclusive nature makes it an art gallery for everyone.

As the temperature drops the Brisbane social calendar becomes a hotbed of activity. This month we’ve seen the Caxton Street Seafood & Wine festival draw record crowds and droves of Greek-seeking foodies flock to Paniyiri. The Bolshoi Ballet is wowing crowds, and we’re feeling pretty lucky that the best ballet company in the world chose Brisbane as its only city in Australia to visit.

Brisbane may not be a sleepy little town anymore, but the people remain as open, friendly and cheerful as ever. As the capital of the state of Queensland, Brisbane enjoys the cosmpolitan life that a capital city can bring, but remains blessed by the sunshine state’s laidback and easygoing nature. Brisbane’s new generation of entrepreneurs and artists are flourishing and bringing the city with them to the heights of their newfound successes.

Brisbane has well and truly arrived. It may not have been the first on the scene, lets call it fashionably late. However you look at it, Brisbane is making up for it in spades.

Thanks for reading! Want more of Queensland?

Read about the Gold Coast, a short drive south of Brisbane, here.

Read about the best destinations in Queensland here.

Genevieve Lauren

Hello! I’m an Australian travel blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Brisbane, studied in Paris, lived & worked in New York City and now live in Melbourne, Australia.

I love sharing specific and useful recommendations, itineraries and guides for the most beautiful things to see, do, experience & eat wherever I go.

My favourite travel destinations are Australia, New York City & surrounds, France, Greece & Japan, but I’m always excited to explore somewhere new!

The Wanderbug is reader supported. This site may contain links to affiliate websites, which means when you buy through links on this site I may receive a small affiliate commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!