FAQS

Melt is a new annual citywide festival of Queer arts and culture staged across multiple venues throughout Magandjin/Brisbane. It builds on the success of its predecessor Melt, the LGBTQIA+ Festival staged annually at Brisbane Powerhouse since 2015.
Melt festival dates are 22 Oct to 09 Nov 2025.

A not-for-profit organisation, Brisbane Powerhouse is the producing house of Melt, in other words Brisbane Powerhouse has a dedicated ‘Melt team’ who organise the festival across the city in collaboration with its stakeholders and partners.

The Melt team, facilitate the city-wide festival as a whole, guiding artists/venues and curating key events (i.e. River Pride Parade). Although working out of the Brisbane Powerhouse, The Melt Team wear a different hat to the Brisbane Powerhouse Programming team.

Melt is guided by the Melt Reference Group (MRG), a committee of Queer voices with diverse perspectives, specialisations and backgrounds. Luke Furness, Chair of the MRG is also a director on the board of Brisbane Powerhouse.

Melt is also guided by Brisbane Powerhouse’s First Nations Advisory Committee (FNAC) where appropriate. Toni Janke, Chair of the FNAC is also a director on the board of Brisbane Powerhouse. Approximately fifty percent of staff working on Melt identify as Queer.

08 JAN 2025 – Venue Registration Open 
15 JAN 2025 – Artist / Show Registrations Open 
31 MAR 2025 – Community Information Night 
15 MAY 2025 – Early Bird Discount Deadline 
14 JUL 2025 – Deadline for Printed Program Inclusion
04 AUG 2025 – Deadline for Program Launch Inclusion 
early-AUG 2025 – Program Announce and On-Sale 
mid-SEP 2025– Printed program distributed nationally
22 OCT – 9 NOV 2025 – Melt Festival

Melt is an open access festival. An open access festival means anyone (ie artists, companies, producers, community and sporting groups) can register their events to participate.

Melt is an open access inclusive festival, sometimes known as a fringe festival. Artists, companies, producers, community and sporting groups register their events online to participate. Venues also register their participation via the online portal.

Venues and artists/producers have three options to connect with one another. You can connect with each other either through Eventotron, in the real world, or the Melt team can assist by facilitating introductions between artists and venues. The deal is created and agreed upon between artists and venues directly. Melt can provide advice as well as useful templates such a draft agreement for venues and artists/producers to follow.

Melt welcomes events, performances and exhibitions that appeal to LGBTQIA+ audiences. LGBTQIA+ participants are encouraged to register, and allies invited to participate.

LGBTQIA+ community events and activities are also encouraged to become part of the Melt program.

If you’re an artist/promoter, community group or sporting club go to Artists/Promoters: Terms and Conditions for more details.

If you’re a venue, go to Venue: Terms and Conditions for more details. If you’re not sure where you fit but have an idea and would like to participate, email us via [email protected] and we’ll guide you.

• Expand your reach to new audiences and markets, elevate your brand presence, and secure ticket sales and other revenue opportunities through Melt’s brand campaign (national/local) which includes digital, print, PR and outdoor advertising.
• Your show/event and venue will be listed in the Melt digital and printed guides (across entertainment, hospitality and retail locations nationally).
• Embrace Melt as your testing ground, launching pad, homecoming, or an opportunity to level up alongside fellow artists.
• Attract reviews, audience and industry feedback, build marketing assets for future tours. Make Melt your anchor event for an Australian tour, ie Melbourne Fringe is on 30 September – 19 October 2025.
• Receive awards and acknowledgement from peers and industry.
• Be seen by presenters with potential for future bookings.
• Be supported by dedicated festival professionals to find the perfect venue for your work.
• Connect with new artists, promoters and venues.
• Visit sunny Brisbane, a LGBTQIA+ friendly city and home to 2.5 million people.
• Receive a Melt ‘Artist Pass’ with this, you can attend other participating Melt events for free (subject to availability) and receive special discounts at registered Queer the Town Businesses.

The fee associated with registering for Melt covers inclusion in the overall Melt marketing campaign, a city-wide activation, website listing, and a feature in the Melt printed program and distribution of that program nationally.

Resources include: 

• A guide to Producing
• A guide to Marketing your show/event
• Marketing collateral and templates
• A budget template
• Draft agreements
• A guide to ticketing

The Melt team is also available to provide feedback, recommendations, facilitate conversations and provide advice if you require.

Melt welcomes events, performances and exhibitions that appeal to LGBTQIA+ audiences. LGBTQIA+ participants are encouraged to register, and allies are invited to participate and attend events.

Like all open access festivals, a deal is created and agreed upon between artists and venues directly. Melt does not take a percentage of ticket sales, 100% of revenue is to be negotiated between the artist and their chosen venue.

There are various risk share arrangements to consider and it is important to consider these risks when deciding if Melt is right for you.

Some things to consider;
– Do you have an audience in Brisbane? 
– Are your ticket prices too high or too low?
– Does your venue agreement set you up for success?
– Are you putting enough into marketing your event?
– Are you budgeting your event accurately?

If you are unsure, the Melt team are happy to provide you with guidance when considering these risks and useful templates such as draft agreements for venues and artists/producers to follow.

No, as a venue you only need to pay your venue registration fee once if you are participating in Melt and it is based on your total sellable capacity. Registering as a venue in Eventotron is free.

Yes, if you are presenting different shows in the same venue, or across multiple venues, a registration fee is applicable for each individual show/season. Each registration covers the marketing and guide listing for each individual show title.

Example 1: Taylor Swift wants to perform three shows at The Tivoli and one in-conversation event at QPAC. She would pay one registration fee for her shows at The Tivoli, and one registration fee for her event at QPAC.

Example 2: Beyoncé wants to perform one show of her Lemonade album and two shows of her Cowboy Carter album at Kingston Butter Factory. She would pay one registration fee for her Lemonade album show, and one registration fee for her Cowboy Carter show.

Given Brisbane typically has entertainment hubs due to venue locations (i.e., Fortitude Valley, Southbank, West End etc.) these hubs or precincts will organically appear. At this stage, we aren’t curating hubs or spaces, however this might be something we investigate for the future.

Yes, Brisbane Powerhouse programming team have listed available spaces on Eventotron to receive your enquiries. As with all other participating venues, programming is subject to availability and both parties agreeing on a suitable deal. If you are interested in presenting your event at the Brisbane Powerhouse, you can contact their programming team on [email protected]

Melt is an open access festival for queer arts and culture, work that appeals to a queer audience is welcome to participate, or work that is written, produced or has a queer creative team behind it. If this isn’t you and you still want to be involved, please consider buying a ticket to support one of the Open Access shows or participate in one of our signature events. 

The Eventotron platform is very flexible, you can register your sporting club/field as a venue and register a sporting match as an event. The wording on the platform is built using show/performing arts language, so the Melt team can assist you here if required.

Melt Festival celebrates diverse voices from across the community and is partially government-funded to support Brisbane and Queensland’s tourism and economic development objectives.

Thanks to the support from Arts QLD, The Melt Development Fund in 2024 successfully supported both local South East QLD and Regional Artists to participate in the festival. 
We are seeking out this funding again and will be in contact with more information as soon as it is available. 

We encourage seeking out additional funding opportunities in the meantime.

As a local business, we encourage you to register for “Queer the Town” ( link ) You can also support by purchasing tickets and attending events throughout the festival, as well as sharing the events you enjoy. You can also consider donating to our partner charities. 

All events will be listed on the Melt website, you can support other Melt Artists by attending events and cross promoting each others work. You can connect with your fellow Melt Artists at events and the Melt Artist Bar.

The River Pride Parade is a vibrant, family-friendly event celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride, diversity, and inclusion as part of the 2025 Melt Festival. It will feature over 50 water vessels adorned in colorful, creative displays, daytime fireworks and a party playlist live.

The parade will make its way along the Brisbane River from the Victoria Bridge to Brisbane Powerhouse on Saturday, 8 November, from 12pm to 3pm AEST.

Date: Saturday, 8 November 2025
Time: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm AEST
Route: The parade will begin at the Victoria Bridge and travel along the Maiwar (Brisbane River), ending at Brisbane Powerhouse.
Viewing Locations: Popular viewing spots include South Bank, Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane Powerhouse and New Farm Park (Family Fun Day). These locations offer great vantage points along the river.

Yes! The River Pride Parade is free to attend. You can watch the parade from any of the designated viewing areas along the Brisbane River.

Yes, there will be daytime fireworks launched along the parade route, with our viewing locations in mind. These fireworks will add an extra splash of color and excitement to the event. Please note, the fireworks are designed to be family-friendly and will be a part of the celebratory atmosphere.

Absolutely! The River Pride Parade is a family-friendly event, with plenty of activities and viewing areas suitable for people of all ages. The South Bank Pride Picnic, in particular, is designed as a family-friendly experience with a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

Yes, the event has been thoroughly planned in consultation with Maritime Safety Queensland to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. Additionally, the event is supported by Brisbane City Council and the River City Ferries. Measures are in place for crowd control, and all boats participating in the parade have been vetted and will be closely monitored for safety.

You can access the viewing areas along the Brisbane River using various transport options:

Parking: Limited parking is available at South Bank, Howard Smith Wharves and Brisbane Powerhouse, but we recommend using public transport to avoid traffic and parking congestion.
Public Transport: Take advantage of Brisbane’s public transport network including buses, trains, and city cats/ferries.
Cycling/Walking: There are plenty of walking and cycling paths around the river, and bike racks are available at many of the viewing locations.

Yes you can. The River Pride Parade is accepting EOIs for vessels – Find out more here.

Yes, the event is designed to be accessible. The viewing areas at South Bank, Howard Smith Wharves, and Brisbane Powerhouse are wheelchair accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please plan ahead to ensure the best experience, and feel free to reach out to the Melt Festival team for more assistance.

Sun Protection: Hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses are recommended as the parade will take place in the afternoon sun.
Water: Stay hydrated, especially if you’re attending for an extended period.
Comfortable Clothing: Since this is an outdoor event, wear comfortable clothing and shoes for walking or standing.
Rain Gear (if needed): While the weather is expected to be clear, it’s always good to be prepared for unexpected changes.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, the following items are prohibited:

• Pets (for the safety and comfort of all participants, pets are not allowed).
• Large items or structures (such as tents or umbrellas) that could obstruct views.
• Alcohol (unless consumed within designated areas).

In case of adverse weather conditions, the event may be delayed or rescheduled. Any updates regarding weather-related changes will be communicated via the official Melt Festival website and social media channels.

Viewing and participation in River Pride Parade with your own boat or vessel is free, but think about giving to our two charity partners:

Open Doors Youth Service
Pinnacle Foundation

For the most up-to-date information about the River Pride Parade and other Melt Festival events, visit melt.org.au or follow the event’s social media channels. Sign-up to the Melt email list to be the first to hear more.

We’re excited to celebrate with you at River Pride Parade 2025! Let’s make it a colorful, inclusive, and memorable day!

Yes all normal ferry services will be in operation