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[CANCELLED] All Night Long Returns to Brisbane for Overnight Charity Walk

Editor’s Note: Please note that All Night Long 2026, originally scheduled for Saturday 24 October, has been cancelled due to severe weather conditions in Queensland. For further updates, please visit allnightlong.org.au.

Queensland’s largest overnight charity walk will return to Brisbane this Saturday, 24 October, bringing participants together to raise funds for sick and injured children and their families.

Read: Overnight Charity Walk Launches in Brisbane CBD to Aid Sick Children

All Night Long will be based at the City Botanic Gardens, with participants choosing between a 21-kilometre walk and a 42-kilometre overnight marathon. The event will begin on Saturday evening and continue into Sunday morning.

Now in its second year, the walk follows an inaugural event in 2025 that attracted more than 1,600 participants and raised over $1 million for Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland and the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The two charities have partnered to deliver the event, with funds supporting medical research, essential equipment, accommodation and practical assistance for families whose children are receiving treatment.

Brisbane Streets Set for an Overnight Walk

The event information supplied by organisers lists entertainment from 5pm, followed by the official opening at 5.30pm. Walkers are scheduled to set off at 6pm, following a route that includes Bunya Walk, the Goodwill Bridge and South Bank.

Entertainment, pit stops, and community activities will feature along the course as participants make their way through Brisbane during the night. The event is scheduled to finish on Sunday morning, 25 October.

Registrations have closed, but donations remain open. Participants who pledge to raise at least $1,500 are eligible for Midnight Club status, recognising their fundraising contribution.

Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Lyndsey Rice said the event demonstrated the impact of Queenslanders supporting children facing serious medical challenges.

“It’s inspiring to see so many Queenslanders come together to make a real difference for sick and injured children. Every dollar raised through All Night Long helps fund life-saving research, innovative treatments, vital medical equipment, and the care and support that surrounds a child’s treatment.”

Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland CEO Emma Thompson said fundraising helped families remain close to their children during hospital treatment.

“When a child becomes ill or injured, families often spend weeks or months away from home while their child receives care. The support generated through All Night Long helps us provide accommodation and practical support so families can remain close to their child throughout that journey.”

A Family’s Journey Behind the Fundraising

The event also has a personal connection for the family of six-year-old Lawson, from Bald Hills, who has received support from both charities during treatment for a rare brain condition.

Lawson was diagnosed with Vein of Galen Aneurysmal Malformation in 2024 after doctors discovered his heart was enlarged during an unrelated hospital visit. According to an August 2026 media release, he had undergone nine embolisations, an ETV procedure and ongoing specialist scans, with treatment requiring close monitoring at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

His parents, Caitlin and Luke, have relied on accommodation provided by Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland to remain near him during hospital treatment. The two charities have also provided meals, clothing, toiletries and practical support during planned procedures and unexpected emergencies.

The Children’s Hospital Foundation has helped ease Lawson’s fear and anxiety through in-hospital programs including Kidzone, Book Bunker and Bravery Beads. Support has also extended to his older brother, Banjo.

In 2025, Luke completed the 42-kilometre walk with friends as part of the VOGM Warriors team. The team raised $49,362.85, making it the event’s highest-fundraising team that year. The family planned to participate again in 2026, continuing their support for the organisations that have helped them through Lawson’s treatment.

Read: Fortitude Valley Transforms into a David Bowie Wonderland for Charity Event

“Knowing we will continue to be supported by these two charities throughout Lawson’s ongoing hospital journey means everything to our family,” Caitlin and Luke said.

All Night Long returns with registrations sold out. People who missed out on a place can still support the charities by donating through the official event website. More information and donation options are available at https://www.allnightlong.org.au/.

Published 21-October-2026

Screen Music Awards Bring Cezary Skubiszewski to Fortitude Valley

Photo Credit: Cezary Skubiszewski

Fortitude Valley is about to host a night with real music industry weight. The Screen Music Awards will honour Cezary Skubiszewski at Fortitude Music Hall on October 28.

For the Valley, that is a tidy score. It puts a major national event in the heart of Brisbane, and it brings one of Australia’s best-known screen composers into local view.

APRA AMCOS will present the distinguished services to the Australian screen award. The organisation says Skubiszewski has built an extraordinary body of work over more than 30 years.

From Warsaw to Australian screens

Skubiszewski’s career started a long way from Brisbane. He was born in Warsaw in 1948 and studied piano and classical music early on.

Later, he moved through Paris and London before settling in Sydney in the 1970s. From there, he kept moving across styles and projects, working in jazz-rock, theatre, television and film.

That range matters. It helps explain why his name has stayed familiar for so long in Australian screen culture.

He worked on television titles including Neighbours and Sky Trackers. Then he stepped into feature film with Lilian’s Story, which won him the Asia-Pacific Film Festival award for best music in 1996.

A catalogue that still carries weight

Skubiszewski went on to score Two Hands and Red Dog, both widely loved Australian films. He also composed for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

That is the sort of resume that does not need much dressing up. It speaks for itself, and it explains why the Screen Music Awards are giving him such a strong nod.

Skubiszewski said the honour came as a surprise. He also said he felt deeply grateful to APRA for recognising his work.

Importantly, he did not frame the award as a solo achievement. He thanked colleagues, mentors and family members who supported him along the way.

A family link that kept the music moving

One of the more interesting parts of his story is the work he later shared with his son, Jan. Together, they created award-winning music for Serangoon Road, Picnic at Hanging Rock and High Country.

That gives the award a nice sense of continuity. The career did not stand still, and the music did not either.

The Screen Music Awards will celebrate excellence across 16 categories. They cover short film, television, documentaries, children’s programming and feature films.

APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers present the awards. This year also marks APRA’s centenary, which gives the night an extra layer of significance.

For Fortitude Valley, the event is more than a polished industry function. It brings a national celebration into a suburb that knows how to host a crowd.

And for Skubiszewski, the Screen Music Awards feel like a fitting salute. His music has already soundtracked a lot of Australian life. Now, the Valley gets to help recognise it.

Published 15-October-2026

All Hallows’ School Included in Catholic Education Workplace Ballot

All Hallows’ School in Fortitude Valley is among Queensland Catholic education employers involved in a workplace ballot taking place without agreement between the employers and the education union on key conditions. The dispute involves reproductive health leave, salaries and workloads, with employees being asked to decide whether to endorse the proposed employment package.

The school is identified in the Religious Institute Schools agreement documentation released on 8 October 2026. Eligible employees will vote between 19 and 29 October, following bargaining negotiations that began under the existing Catholic school employment arrangements.

Separate school systems share disputed leave provision

All Hallows’ belongs to the Religious Institute Schools bargaining group, which negotiates under an agreement separate from the diocesan Catholic school system. Both proposed agreements nevertheless contain the same reproductive health leave eligibility provisions, despite covering different groups of school employers.

The Independent Education Union says employers proceeded to the employee ballot without an agreement in principle with the union. Catholic education employers maintain that staff should be given the opportunity to vote on the proposed conditions, which they have presented as an overall package of employment improvements.

Five days of leave under restricted conditions

Clause 8.19 of the proposed Catholic school agreements provides up to five days of paid reproductive health leave each calendar year for eligible employees. The entitlement would not accumulate annually, with part-time and term-time staff receiving a proportionate allowance and casual employees excluded.

Eligibility would require an employee to be absent because of chronic symptoms associated with at least one of eight listed conditions or procedures: endometriosis, adenomyosis, dysmenorrhoea, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hysterectomy, menopause, perimenopause or prostate disease.

A further restriction applies to accumulated personal or carer’s leave. Full-time employees must have fewer than 10 days remaining, while part-time and term-time staff must have less than a proportionately adjusted balance. Employees would also need to meet the agreement’s notification and evidence requirements.

IVF included in public-sector leave provisions

Queensland public-sector employees have had access to up to 10 working days of paid reproductive health leave annually since 30 September 2024. The entitlement includes fertility treatment such as IVF, chronic reproductive health conditions, preventative screening and specified medical procedures, without requiring employees to exhaust other types of leave first.

The Catholic school proposals do not expressly include IVF among the qualifying reasons for the new reproductive leave entitlement. Other existing leave arrangements may remain available for medical treatment or appointments, depending on the circumstances. The proposed agreements also provide for accumulated personal or carer’s leave to be used for preventative medical advice or treatment, including reproductive health screening.

Union raises pay gaps and workload concerns

The Independent Education Union Queensland and Northern Territory has sought reproductive health leave comparable to the public-sector entitlement, alongside improvements in wages and working conditions. Its bargaining claims also cover teacher workloads, school officer classifications and recognition of specialist and leadership roles.

The union says some Queensland Catholic school classroom assistants earn between 10 and 25 per cent less than workers performing comparable jobs in New South Wales Catholic schools. It also argues that the proposed agreement does not adequately address increasing teaching workloads or the working conditions of specialist staff.

Catholic school employers have proposed teacher wage increases of four per cent in 2026, followed by 3.5 per cent in both 2027 and 2028. Their package also includes changes to certain school officer and services staff classifications, along with proposed improvements to leave arrangements. The union maintains that the offer does not sufficiently address its outstanding claims.

More than 22,000 employees covered by ballot

According to Catholic Education Queensland, the bargaining arrangements cover more than 22,000 employees across 313 schools. Separate proposed agreements apply to schools operated by diocesan Catholic education authorities and those under Religious Institutes or Ministerial Public Juridic Persons.

The online ballot will run from 19 to 29 October 2026, with eligible employees able to vote whether or not they belong to a union. An agreement must receive majority support from employees casting valid votes and subsequently obtain approval from the Fair Work Commission before taking effect.

Backpay remains contested as vote approaches

Employers say approval during the October ballot would secure their proposed retrospective wage payments, including backpay from 1 July 2026 for teachers. If the agreement is rejected, existing employment conditions would continue while a replacement is pursued.

Under the employers’ stated approach, backpay following a later successful ballot would begin from the first day of the month in which that vote occurs. The union has criticised the condition, arguing that retrospective wages should remain part of further negotiations rather than depend on approval of the current offer.

Published 9-Oct-2026

Work Starts on $280 Million Fortitude Valley Office Tower With Rooftop Dining Space

Property developer Goldfields has started work on a 16-storey office tower in Fortitude Valley’s James Street precinct, a project topped by a dining and events space that looks out over the Brisbane River.

A Ceremony on the Site

The project, called 88 Robertson, began with a ceremonial turning of the first sod on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, according to a Goldfields statement. Brisbane Central Ward councillor Vicki Howard officiated, joined by the development and construction teams. Goldfields put the cost at $280 million.

What Goes Inside

The tower will offer 17,000 square metres of boutique office space. Premium end-of-trip facilities, levels set aside for serviced offices and a full level of wellness facilities are all part of the plan, along with landscaped outdoor wintergardens. Up top, a rooftop dining and events space will face the river, the CBD and Mt Coot-tha.

Why pack so much into an office building? Goldfields chief executive Lachlan Thompson said workplaces have changed at a basic level. Businesses, he said, now want more than floor space. They want a place where staff can connect, do their best work and enjoy being there.

Built Around the Neighbourhood

Location is a big part of the pitch. Howard Smith Wharves is a four-minute walk away, and major transport hubs are close by. Thompson said the design draws on what makes James Street distinctive, including its hospitality, wellness and culture, as well as the outdoor lifestyle that comes with Brisbane’s subtropical climate. The goal, he said, is a workplace that feels tied to its surroundings and looks after staff from the moment they arrive until the day ends.

ULTRA managing director Adrian Sicari said the building should suit Brisbane’s creative industries and professional service firms. In his view, they will get a modern workplace where ideas, teamwork and culture sit alongside work and lifestyle.

Goldfields will also move its own Brisbane office into the tower.

The Team Behind the Tower

ULTRA Queensland, an Australian-owned construction firm, is the builder and delivery partner. It is the second Goldfields project the company has delivered, following The Bryson, a luxury residential tower in Chatswood, New South Wales, which Goldfields said is nearing completion.

COX Architecture designed 88 Robertson. The two companies also worked together on Goldfields House, the developer’s Melbourne headquarters, which Goldfields said revitalised part of Chapel Street. Thompson said the lessons from that building shaped the Brisbane design. Landscape architect Arcadia and town planner PPA are also on the project, and Aegis Property Group is the lead agent.

What Comes Next

Construction is scheduled to finish in the third quarter of 2028.

Goldfields has another Brisbane project underway. Quartet, its luxury apartment tower in Milton, broke ground in August. The developer said the two projects lift its built-form pipeline past $450 million.

Published Date 09-October-2026

Brisbane Cathedral to Glow by Candlelight for Halloween Concert

Photo Credit: Fever Up

Brisbane’s St John’s Cathedral will be transformed into a candlelit concert venue for Halloween, with haunting classical compositions, horror film themes and familiar popular music performed by live string quartets beneath the cathedral’s towering Gothic architecture.

The Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics concerts will take place on Friday, 30 October and Saturday, 31 October 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Organised by entertainment platform Fever, the performances will bring a Halloween-inspired programme to St John’s Cathedral at 373 Ann Street, Brisbane City, with thousands of candles forming part of the setting.

From Michael Jackson to Hollywood horror

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” will feature alongside music from some of cinema’s best-known horror and supernatural films, including “Psycho,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Addams Family.”

The programme also includes the “Ghostbusters” theme, “Tubular Bells” from “The Exorcist,” and a medley featuring music associated with “The Shining,” “Candyman” and “Halloween.” An arrangement of “Paint It Black,” featured in the television series “Wednesday,” adds another contemporary connection to the selection.

Classical compositions will share the programme with the film and television music. Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata in D Minor,” Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre” and Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” are among the works selected for their dramatic and atmospheric qualities.

The music will be performed through string quartet arrangements rather than original recordings or full orchestral performances. Chromatica is scheduled to perform on 30 October, while Paradiso Strings will take the stage on Halloween night, 31 October. The programme is subject to change. Official programme and performers

A Halloween setting beneath the cathedral’s arches

St John’s Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral in Brisbane’s CBD, combines Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements and regularly hosts concerts and other cultural events.

Its stone columns, pointed arches and stained-glass windows will provide the backdrop for the Halloween performances, with the interior illuminated by the warm glow of thousands of candles.

The venue already hosts performances from Fever’s Candlelight series, which presents live instrumental arrangements of classical compositions and music by contemporary artists. The Halloween edition brings together works spanning centuries, from Bach and Mussorgsky to Michael Jackson and modern film soundtracks. Candlelight concerts in Brisbane

Two nights of music, with tickets from $36.50

Each performance is scheduled to run for approximately 65 minutes, with doors opening 30 minutes before the concert and closing five minutes before the scheduled start. Late arrivals will not be admitted.

The concerts are open to audiences aged eight and above, although children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The cathedral is wheelchair accessible, and seating is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis within each purchased ticket zone.

Tickets are advertised from $36.50 for Zone D, rising to $51.50 for Zone C, $73.50 for Zone B and $105 for Zone A. Premium tickets are listed at $110, although the category was marked as sold out on the event page at the time of checking. Prices and availability may change.

Both performances will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the second concert taking place on Halloween night itself. Further details and bookings are available through the official Fever event page.

Published 8-Oct-2026

Brisbane CBD Block Could Gain a Sloping Shopping Lane, Public Garden and 290 Apartments

Photo Credit: DA A007121657

IFM Investors has lodged plans to redevelop half a city block in the Brisbane CBD, adding 290 apartments, a 240-room hotel, an office tower and a public garden, all linked by a shop-lined walkway between Queen Street Mall and Elizabeth Street.

A Slope Instead of Escalators

Right now, getting between the mall and Elizabeth Street means riding escalators. The new design would swap that for a gentle slope. Called Regent Lane, the walkway would follow the natural drop in ground level, with shops on both sides and wide openings at each end so people on the footpath can see inside.

Woods Bagot, the architects, designed the scheme. On the Queen Street side, the entrance would sit beside the Regent building, with the lane’s name hanging overhead and escalators heading up to a second retail level. At the Elizabeth Street end, the opening would run beneath a raised office lobby. The planning report says the two retail levels would be laid out like a shopping arcade, mostly for shops, cafes and restaurants, though tenancies could change use over time.

Two Towers on a Vacant Lot

Behind the Regent building, an empty lot on Elizabeth Street would hold most of the new height. According to documents lodged with council, a six-storey podium would carry a 45-storey tower of just under 182 metres. Hotel rooms would fill levels six to 15, with 24 rooms on each floor. The apartments would sit above, made up of 154 two-bedroom homes, 132 three-bedroom homes and four with four bedrooms.

Next door, a 16-storey office tower would reach about 95 metres. It would hold 24,607 square metres of commercial space, while the whole precinct would carry 7,384 square metres of shops. The office lobby would sit on Level 1 rather than at street level, with lounge seating, casual meeting areas and a glass edge facing Elizabeth Street. The plans also include 630 bicycle spaces.

Much of the existing Wintergarden shopping centre would go. The planning report says shops would not be lost from the site, since the new podium would carry retail on two levels.

A Garden Above the Mall

Picture a lawn, a wine bar and a cafe a few floors above the Queen Street Mall crowds. That is the idea for Level 5, a podium garden reached by an express escalator or by lift.

The plans show public restaurants, bars, a cafe and wellness spaces mixed in with lawns and landscaped paths. Terraces with outdoor dining would look down on Elizabeth Street through a screen of plants. Hotel guests would get their own pool, spa and leisure areas, kept apart from the public parts by planting and architectural dividers.

LatStudios designed the landscaping. The planning report counts about 2,275 square metres of planted outdoor space across the project. New trees would line Elizabeth Street, existing trees in the mall would stay, and climbing plants, pergolas and shaded seating would soften the podium.

The Regent, the Butterflies and the Street

The heritage-listed Regent building stays. Its cinemas were demolished in 2011, and the plans propose no building work on what remains. Its foyer would become part of the hotel’s Queen Street arrival and link to a lobby on the mezzanine. Residents and hotel guests would have their own Elizabeth Street entrances, and a basement area would offer three drop-off bays.

The Wintergarden’s butterfly screen is part of a separate, earlier application. The screen has hung above the mall since 2012, and taking it down would show the original 1982 brick facade underneath. The existing InterContinental hotel tower, the former Hilton, is not part of that retail works application.

On Elizabeth Street, the Wintergarden car park ramps would be removed and new shopfronts added. Jessica Pitcher, a senior planner at Place Design Group who prepared the report for IFM, says the changes would improve the walk along the northern side of the street and tie it into the mall through the new cross-block link. She describes the project as major regeneration for the city centre.

A Site With a Busy Planning Past

This is not the first plan for the land. The previous owner, ISPT, pitched an office tower and later a 42-storey mixed-use tower. This latest scheme is the third redesign of the site in three years.

Brisbane City Council will now assess the application.

Published Date 07-October-2026

Gina Rinehart Buys $8m Spring Hill Office for One Nation Headquarters

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has added another Brisbane office building to her property portfolio, purchasing a three-storey Spring Hill property for approximately $8 million that is set to become One Nation’s new national headquarters.

The building at 160 Wharf Street was acquired through Hanrine Investments, a subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting. The planned relocation will bring the party’s headquarters from Brisbane Airport to the edge of the CBD, where Rinehart already owns two major commercial properties.

From Brisbane Airport To The City Fringe

One Nation is preparing to leave its existing headquarters at 2/6–12 Boronia Road, Brisbane Airport, after outgrowing the premises. The party is finalising leasing arrangements for the Spring Hill property, with the relocation expected once the office fit-out is completed. The new address offers a different setting from its airport base, placing the headquarters within walking distance of Brisbane’s central business district and public transport connections.

According to commercial property agency Colliers, the Wharf Street building is approximately 250 metres from Central Station and 50 metres from a Turbot Street bus stop. Spring Hill also has an established mix of commercial offices, hospitals, hotels, medical services and apartment buildings. Ms Pauline Hanson’s electoral office is already located at Waterfront Place in the CBD and is separate from the party’s planned national headquarters.

Gina Rinehart Spring Hill office — Photo Credit: Colliers

Behind The Wharf Street Frontage

The three-storey building provides 948 square metres of net lettable area, with two upper levels of office accommodation and a ground floor configured for office, showroom or retail use. Its uppermost floor opens onto a balcony overlooking Brisbane’s skyline, while a recently upgraded internal lift connects the different levels. The property also provides 10 secure onsite car parks, with potential for two additional spaces.

The building’s combination of office accommodation, ground-floor commercial space and onsite parking formed part of its marketing as an inner-city property suitable for different business uses. Although One Nation is preparing to occupy the premises, Hancock Prospecting has confirmed the party will not receive free or discounted rent. A company spokesperson said commercial leasing arrangements applied to outside tenants regardless of whether they were political organisations.

Brisbane Commercial Property — Photo Credit: Colliers

One Nation’s Barnaby Joyce also confirmed the party would pay commercial rates. Responsibility for the cost of fitting out the new offices has not been established, and no relocation date has been announced.

Another Addition To Rinehart’s Brisbane Holdings

The Wharf Street acquisition follows Rinehart’s earlier investments in Brisbane CBD office buildings, including the purchase of 175 Eagle Street for a reported $240 million in late 2023. Her commercial property holdings also include 70 Eagle Street, acquired for more than $100 million. The latest purchase adds a Spring Hill address to those CBD investments, with One Nation expected to take up its new premises once the outstanding leasing and fit-out arrangements are completed.

Published 6-October-2026

Brisbane School of Arts Building Enters New Chapter as CBD Property Goes to Tender

The Brisbane School of Arts building has had many lives, from accommodation and a refuge for women to a centre for education, and a city library. Its next use could soon be determined by a new owner.

Read: Historic Brisbane School of Arts Set for Private Sale After Revival Bid Falls Short

The heritage-listed property at 166 Ann Street in the Brisbane CBD is being offered to the private sector through a market tender process, giving the building another moment of change after decades of public use.

Historic Brisbane landmark heads to tender

School of Arts building, 2013 (Photo credit: CC BY-SA 3.0/orderinchaos/Wikimedia Commons)

The 1009sqm site includes a 1140sqm building across three levels, with a basement. CBRE agents Nick Wedge and Will Carman have been appointed to manage the sale.

The tender process is scheduled to close at 3pm on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The sale campaign describes the building as having been underutilised for many years and presents it as an opportunity for a new owner to undertake refurbishment and adapt the property.

Potential uses outlined for the site include an entertainment venue, commercial offices, or a private club. These are possibilities identified in the sale campaign rather than approved future uses.

The sale campaign follows a Brisbane City market-sounding process earlier in 2026 that sought proposals for the activation of the building. Its heritage status will also be relevant to any future changes, with requirements applying to places listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

The Brisbane School of Arts is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register and is also identified in the heritage record as the former Servant’s Home. The property was entered on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.

From Servants’ Home to School of Arts

School of Arts building, 1925 (Photo credit: State Library of Queensland Negative number: 202751)

The building was constructed between 1865 and 1866 as the Servants Home. Designed by H Edwin Bridges, it provided accommodation for single adult women who had moved to the city seeking employment as domestic servants.

The building originally featured a ground floor and two upper galleries, with the verandahs added later in 1877. Its purpose changed again in 1871, when philanthropist Ann Drew established a refuge there for unmarried and unsupported mothers.

Interior view of the library at the Brisbane School of Arts, 1908 (Photo credit: Public Domain/Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld.: 1866-1939)/Wikimedia Commons)

The trustees of the North Brisbane School of Arts purchased the property in 1873, although the refuge continued operating there until 1878. The building opened as the School of Arts on May 17 that year after modifications and the addition of verandahs.

The School of Arts hosted a range of educational and cultural activities. Its early program included exhibitions, lectures, a literary circle and drawing classes, while its library held about 7,000 books for 600 subscribers.

Read: CCTV Expansion Complete Around Ann Street, Brunswick Street and Wickham Terrace

Technical education was later added, with subjects including cooking, languages, and mathematics. The building later came under Brisbane City’s control and became home to the Central City Library, which continued operating at the site until 1981.

Now, the Ann Street property is once again facing a change in ownership, with the tender process set to determine who takes on the heritage-listed building and what comes next for the CBD landmark.

Published 1-October-2026

Urban Wine Walk Returns to Fortitude Valley for Two Spring Weekends

Photo Credit: Humanitix events page

Fortitude Valley has always liked a good afternoon out. The Urban Wine Walk fits that mood neatly. It returns on 31 October and 7 November, and it brings the Valley back to life with a glass in hand. The event runs from noon to 4pm. That gives it an easy rhythm. It is part tasting trail, part local wander, and part excuse to stay out a little longer.

A trail, not a timetable

This is not the sort of event that asks people to stand still. Guests register first at the Osbourne Hotel, then head off to their chosen starting venue. After that, the day is theirs. They can move at their own pace. They can linger for food. Guests can also skip ahead or slow down. That loose structure is a big part of the appeal.

The Urban Wine Walk works because it feels simple. It does not turn wine into something formal or fussy. Instead, it gives people a chance to drift through the Valley and stop where the mood feels right. That suits this part of Brisbane. The suburb is built on movement, noise and energy. This event taps into that without overcomplicating it.

Weekend one and weekend two

Weekend one brings seven venues into the mix. BAR LOU LOU, BrewDog, My Beer Dealer, the Osbourne Hotel, Soapbox Beer, The Prince Consort and The Wickham all feature. The winemakers on that route are Konpira Maru, Dear Vincent, XO Wine Co, Thea Wines, Emmalene Wines, Thick as Thieves and Charteris Wines. It is a solid line-up, and it gives the afternoon plenty of variety.

Weekend two changes the shape of the walk. Ember & Ash and The Beaumont join the route. So do New Tricks Wine, The Little Wine Co., Unnatural Urges Wine, Front Left Wines, Sevenhill Wines, Horner Wines and Witby Wine. That gives the Urban Wine Walk a second feel without losing the same easy format. It also gives return visitors something fresh to chase.

The details that matter

The Vino Lover Pass costs $79 plus booking fee. It includes complimentary tastings, a keepsake tasting glass, a wristband, a $10 food voucher, a $10 wine voucher and a $25 wine voucher. Registration runs from 11am to 1pm at the Osbourne Hotel, 766 Ann St. The walk itself runs from noon to 4pm. It is for adults aged 18 and over.

That is the charm of it. The Urban Wine Walk does not need to shout. It already has the right ingredients. A local trail. Good venues. A bit of spring sunshine. And enough room to make the afternoon feel unhurried.

Published 1-October-2026

The Old Hilton on Queen Street Mall Is Being Rebuilt, With a Lobby Bar Aimed at Locals

Photo Credit: DA A007057493

InterContinental Brisbane, the Harry Seidler-designed tower beside Queen Street Mall that locals knew as the Hilton for almost four decades, is getting a multimillion-dollar overhaul with new restaurants, a reworked atrium and a lobby bar meant for Brisbane residents as much as hotel guests.

The Timeline

Work starts in October 2026 and is expected to finish in late 2027, according to IHG’s announcement. The hotel took on the InterContinental name in 2025, after almost four decades as a Hilton. Builders will work in stages, so the hotel will keep taking guests the whole way through.

How do you update a landmark without losing what made it special? Woods Bagot, the design firm that also worked on InterContinental Sydney and InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, has that job. Principal Tracey Wiles said the team wants to respect Seidler, a leading name in Australian mid-century modernism, while making the hotel feel current. Art and technology are meant to share the stage.

The atrium is the centrepiece of the redesign. It will be reworked to draw in more daylight, and all 324 rooms will have a view down into it. That figure is five higher than today’s 319. Guestrooms lean on earthy tones, with stone, marble and dark timber set against mid-century-style furniture and curved, sculptural art.

Something New on the Menu

Locals may care about this part most. An Argentinian grill is on the way, along with an Italian pasta and wine bar. The lobby bar is being redesigned too, and it’s pitched as a meeting spot for Brisbane residents as much as for people staying upstairs.

A new gym, spa and wellness offering is planned. Outside, a reimagined pool deck will make more of the city’s subtropical weather and its love of the outdoors.

Level 6 gets a new concierge gallery, an upgraded arrival area, and a fresh lobby and reception. Club InterContinental will move to the same floor, with views over Queen Street Mall and the Edward Street luxury precinct.

Ready for the Crowds

Timing matters here. General Manager Shaun Parsons described the project as a chance to modernise a well-loved landmark while respecting Seidler’s original work, with a focus on strong design and a relaxed style of luxury that reflects Brisbane’s character. He said the hotel is well placed to host guests during the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games follow, and coverage of the project ties it to a busy stretch for the city’s tourism and events scene.

Published Date 30-September-2026