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Folk-Pop Artist Lucy Gallant Heads Back to Brisbane With LOVEfest Performance

Bohemian folk-pop artist Lucy Gallant, who sold out her Love Bubble Tribe Gathering at West End’s Tanuki Lounge earlier this year, is bringing her touring show back to south-east Queensland as momentum continues to build around her alcohol-free live music events.

Gallant will perform at LOVEfest in Mount Samson on 27 June before heading to Fingal Head for another Love Bubble Tribe Gathering at Salt & Stone on 4 July. The West End crowd that packed out the Tanuki Lounge already knows what to expect: a one-woman band blending folk, reggae and soul, accompanied by her chihuahua Lola, and a room that feels more like a gathering than a gig.

For those who missed out, LOVEfest Brisbane at Kupidabin Wilderness in Mount Samson offers another chance to catch one of the more distinctive live acts currently touring the east coast.

A career built on independence

Lucy Gallant is a Cairns and Byron-based singer-songwriter who has spent years carving out her own lane. She has performed in 55 countries and appeared on stages including Glastonbury, Byron Bluesfest, Woodford Folk Festival and Kuranda Roots Festival.

She writes, performs and, on her 2019 album Darkness to Light, produced and played every instrument herself. That kind of independent, uncompromising approach runs through everything she does.

A different kind of night out

The Love Bubble Tribe Gatherings are Lucy’s answer to a live music scene she wanted to reshape. They are alcohol-free, all-ages, family-friendly events built around genuine connection, vegan food and Lucy’s own Love Bubble Elixir Bar of mocktail creations. The format is intentional: a respectful listening atmosphere that puts the music and the people in the room at the centre of the experience.

Lucy launched the gatherings earlier in 2026, starting with a sold-out inaugural event in Manly in April. Every Love Bubble Tribe Gathering since, including Byron Bay and West End, has sold out. The concept has found its audience quickly, drawing people who want to share in live music without the noise of a conventional pub show.

“It is a gathering created to celebrate music, genuine connection and good vibes in a warm and welcoming space,” Lucy has said of the events.

The music behind the movement

Lucy released her latest single Forbidden Love in February 2026, a track that earned her a semi-finalist placing in the International Songwriting Competition. The single was produced by Gold Coast-based Josh Beattie and mastered by Paul Blakey, and is streaming now on Spotify. A follow-up single, Venom, and a new EP are both due for release later this year, with the EP also set to include Bad Boy, Devious and F You.

Her catalogue blends the personal with the political in the way folk music always has. The song Heaven, written during the COVID period when Lucy lost both her parents within six months of each other and was unable to be with her father when he passed, sits alongside the more celebratory, rhythm-driven tracks that define her live show.

Dismissed early in life as someone unlikely to amount to much, she has since composed more than 1,000 songs and built a following of over 100,000 across social media.

Catch her live

LOVEfest Brisbane takes place at Kupidabin Wilderness, Mount Samson on Saturday 27 June. Tickets are available here, and Lucy’s discount code LUCYLOVE10 takes 10 per cent off the ticket price.

The Love Bubble Tribe Gathering at Salt & Stone in Fingal Head follows on Saturday 4 July, with doors at 7pm. Tickets are $30 plus booking fee through Humanitix, and the venue website is saltstonefingal.com.au. A Bellingen date is also in the works, with details to be confirmed.

Lucy’s music is on Spotify, Bandcamp and SoundCloud. Recommended starting points from her catalogue include Forbidden Love, Bad Boy and Devious. For interview requests, contact press representative Kim Queen at kimqueensidaho@gmail.com or 0420 613 612, or reach Lucy directly at lucygallantbookings@gmail.com.

Published 24-June-2026

West End Gains Experienced Constable in Queensland Police Recruitment Boost

West End is among the Queensland communities set to benefit from the latest Queensland Police Service recruitment drive, with an experienced constable assigned to the local station following a recent induction ceremony in Brisbane.

The officer is one of 45 veteran recruits who have joined the QPS after previous policing careers in Australia and overseas. They will now take up frontline duties at stations across the state.

Rather than entering policing for the first time, the new constables collectively bring hundreds of years of operational experience from jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil.

West End is one of five South Brisbane stations selected to receive one of the new officers, alongside Annerley, Calamvale, Carina and Upper Mount Gravatt.

Acting Commissioner Brett Pointing said the experienced recruits would strengthen policing services across Queensland.

“The QPS continues to strengthen its frontline capability with experienced officers committed to serving Queensland communities,” Acting Commissioner Pointing said.

“These new constables bring valuable policing experience from other jurisdictions, bolstering our ability to deliver policing services across the state.

“Their decision to join the QPS reflects the opportunities available within the Service and the strong contribution they will make across Queensland.”

Among the new officers is Constable Antonio Humberto Azevedo Souza Castelo Teixeira, who previously spent eight years with the Military Police of Ceará in Brazil before relocating to Queensland.

“One of the biggest things that brought me here was the decision to start my policing career again from scratch in a new country, for my family and for a better future for my children,” Constable Teixeira said.

He said his previous policing experience had helped prepare him to remain calm under pressure, make quick decisions and work effectively as part of a team while adjusting to life in Australia.

Former Wellington Central Police Station officer Constable Dan-Emil Meszaros also chose to continue his policing career in Queensland after serving in specialist policing roles in New Zealand.

“We were sick of the cold, wet, and windy weather in Wellington and chose to move to Queensland for the lifestyle, beaches, and the relaxing nature of the communities,” Constable Meszaros said.

The officers have joined the Queensland Police Service through its Police Abridged Competency Education (PACE) Program, which allows experienced interstate and international police officers to transition into policing in Queensland.

For West End residents, the latest posting means the local station will be strengthened by an officer bringing extensive frontline experience and skills developed across multiple policing jurisdictions.

Published 30-June-2026

From Brisbane’s Indie Theatre Scene to Mamma Mia! on the Gold Coast

Brisbane performer Juliette Coates is playing Ali in an all-Australian production of Mamma Mia! at The Star Gold Coast, presented by The Very Popular Theatre Company. Coates brings proven independent theatre credibility to the powerhouse 31 member cast after extensive work across the West End and broader Brisbane stage scenes.

The production opens at The Star Theatre on 4 September and runs until 20 September, with the official blue carpet premiere taking place on 8 September. Coates has worked across Brisbane’s independent theatre spaces, including West End’s Metro Arts, the iconic, 40 plus year old multi arts organisation now based in the West Village precinct.

Her recent track record includes a standout performance in Queensland Theatre’s highly praised production of Calamity Jane, alongside her work in Eat, Slay, Zombie.

She joins a select group of local artists, with five Gold Coast and Brisbane performers securing coveted principal roles.

A show that outlasts the trends

Since its 1999 debut in London’s West End, Mamma Mia! has captured the hearts of more than 70 million people worldwide. The 2008 film adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried went on to become one of the highest grossing movie musicals of all time.

Driven by 22 iconic ABBA tracks, including Dancing Queen, SOS, and the titular Mamma Mia!, the production relies on a live band and an energetic, sing along crowd to deliver an unmatched feel good atmosphere.

A cast built for the big stage

Musical theatre star Erin Cornell (WICKED, CATS) leads the production as Donna Sheridan. Brisbane’s Chloe Rose Taylor (Beauty and the Beast UK Tour) steps into the role of Tanya, while Gold Coaster Jo Anne Jackson takes on Rosie. Together, they form the iconic, 1970s inspired trio Donna and the Dynamos.

Gold Coast local Emily Monsma (WICKED, Hairspray) plays Sophie, the daughter whose upcoming wedding drives the plot. Brisbane born Timothy Aaron Cooper returns to Queensland stages as Harry Bright. Cooper built his early reputation with the Ipswich Musical Theatre Company before touring the US on the Broadway national tour of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Jersey Boys.

An accomplished creative team steers the production. Director Erin James, Choreographer Rachel Stark, and Musical Director Jonathon Gardner collectively bring a wealth of experience from major commercial hits like Wicked and Billy Elliot. Gardner, a prominent Brisbane based conductor and educator, further strengthens the local connection as an alumnus of South Bank’s Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

A substantial contingent of South East Queensland talent bolsters the ensemble cast, including Brisbane performers Laura Garrick and Lucy Ross, ensuring the production maintains a distinctly local flavor.

Getting there from West End

The Star Theatre at Broadbeach sits just over an hour’s drive from West End. Alternatively, theatregoers can catch a train from South Brisbane station and connect directly to the Gold Coast light rail at Helensvale, stepping off at Broadbeach South. For a production packed with this much local DNA, it is a trip well worth making.

Secure your seats at mammamiagoldcoast.com.au.

Published 22-June-2026

Nearly Half of Brisbane’s Upzoned Land Too Small for Apartment Development, Study Finds

A significant share of Brisbane land rezoned for higher-density housing may be unable to deliver the apartments and townhouses envisioned by planners, according to new Griffith University research.

The study found that only about half of the city’s land zoned for multiple dwellings is large enough to meet the minimum site requirements, raising fresh questions about how Brisbane will achieve its long-term housing targets.

Zoning Alone May Not Be Enough

Dr Rachel Gallagher, from Griffith University’s Department of Tourism and Marketing, examined Brisbane’s zoning maps alongside land parcel data to assess how much upzoned land could realistically be redeveloped.

Her analysis found that while a typical Brisbane residential block measures around 400 square metres, at least 600 square metres is generally needed to accommodate multiple dwellings.

As a result, only 51.2 per cent of land currently zoned for townhouses and apartments satisfies the minimum lot size requirement.

Dr Gallagher said many property owners would need to combine neighbouring lots through land assembly before redevelopment became possible, but described the process as difficult, slow and relatively uncommon.

Housing Supply Goals Face Practical Challenges

Brisbane has increasingly relied on upzoning to boost housing supply by encouraging more homes to be built within existing suburbs.

However, the research suggests much of that planned capacity may prove difficult to realise.

The Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Regional Plan requires Brisbane to deliver more than 210,000 additional homes by 2046. Almost 90 per cent of those dwellings are expected to come from higher-density development in established suburbs, making infill housing a cornerstone of the city’s growth strategy.

Physical Constraints Matter

Dr Gallagher’s earlier research found higher-density projects were most likely to occur on larger sites, in areas already planned for greater density and where supporting infrastructure was available.

The latest study found many newly upzoned areas do not meet those conditions.

Beyond minimum lot sizes, the research noted that neighbourhood character protections, vehicle access requirements and parking provisions could create further barriers to redevelopment.

Dr Gallagher said planning policies also needed to recognise market demand, warning that upzoning in lower-demand areas may increase land values without generating additional housing, while restrictive zoning continued to limit development opportunities in suburbs where demand remained strong.

She said policymakers should place greater emphasis on the physical characteristics of individual sites, arguing that factors such as land size ultimately determine whether planning decisions can achieve their intended outcomes.

The findings have been published in the journal Urban Policy and Research in the paper Misaligned Policy and Practice: Does Upzoning’s Implicit Reliance on Land Assembly Undermine Densification Goals?

Published 22-June-2026

West End Twilight Market to Light Up Davies Park

The West End Solstice Twilight Market is set to transform Davies Park into a six-hour winter celebration, with more than 150 stalls, live fire performances, roving entertainers and a pop-up bar taking over the riverside precinct.

The free event runs from 4pm to 10pm on 19 June at the corner of Montague Road and Jane Street. Registering for a free ticket also enters visitors into a draw for a gourmet market hamper.

The annual event has become one of the most anticipated nights on West End’s community calendar, bringing a different energy to the park that serves as the backdrop for the weekly Saturday morning markets. Same location, same community roots, different mood entirely.

How Davies Park transforms after sunset

The Camali Band headlines the live music program, setting the tone as the light drops and the temperature follows. Roving performers work the crowd throughout the evening: fire performers, the Fire Fairy, Japanese Drummers, face painters, the Bubble Magic Man and a live glass blowing demonstration that tends to draw its own audience once it gets going.

Bonfires are positioned across the park to gather around. The pop-up bar serves craft beer and Glühwein, the warm spiced wine that has become a fixture of the event over its years at Davies Park.

The park’s canopy of Moreton Bay figs, which frame the Saturday morning market in shade, takes on a completely different character with fire and low winter light underneath them.

The food

Over 150 stalls covers everything from fresh artisan finds to gourmet street food built for a winter night. Wagyu Blacks, Get to Bird and Barbie on Charcoal are among the food vendors confirmed for the evening, covering the heavier and more satisfying end of the market food spectrum.

The broader stall mix covers handmade and artisan goods alongside the food, with the scale of the event giving it more range than a typical Friday night market.

A market with decades behind it

Davies Park has been home to a beloved weekly market for decades, with the West End Markets now operating under Goodwill Projects, running every Saturday from 6am to 2pm beneath a canopy of Moreton Bay figs along the Brisbane River.

The winter solstice event sits outside that regular schedule as an annual occasion, and its community following reflects how embedded the market culture is in West End’s identity.

The Winter Solstice Twilight Market has run each June, taking advantage of the suburb’s capacity to turn an outdoor space into something genuinely festive when the occasion calls for it.

The West End Solstice Twilight Market runs next Friday, 19 June from 4pm to 10pm at the corner of Montague Road and Jane Street, West End. Free entry. RSVP via the Facebook event or click here to register for a free ticket and the hamper draw.

Published 12-June-2026

McDonald’s West End Construction Kicks Off on Melbourne Street

Construction is set to begin on a new McDonald’s restaurant in West End, following planning approval for a fitout confirmed earlier in 2026.

Read: West End McDonald’s Fitout Approved for Melbourne Street Site

McDonald’s Australia confirmed works will begin at 220 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane, on the border between West End and South Brisbane. The site will operate as a 24-hour restaurant once complete. The project is expected to inject more than $5 million into the local economy and create around 80 jobs during construction, with a further 120 positions available when the restaurant opens later in 2026.

Render of McDonald’s West End (Photo credit: Brisbane PD Online – A007012001)

The restaurant will be operated by Mandy Wentworth, a Queensland local who began her career with McDonald’s as a crew member more than 24 years ago. The West End store will be her first as a licensee. In a statement, Ms Wentworth said the restaurant would aim to play an active role in the local community through jobs, training and support for local causes and groups.

According to McDonald’s Australia, the restaurant has been designed with the neighbourhood’s outdoor dining culture in mind. The fitout will include indoor and outdoor dining areas, a McCafe and a dedicated room for delivery partners.

Community Reaction Mixed

Photo credit: Brisbane PD Online – A007012001

The announcement has drawn a divided response from local residents. Some have welcomed the development, citing convenience and proximity to other dining options in the area. Others have expressed opposition, with some calling for a boycott and urging locals to continue supporting independent businesses in the suburb.

The site attracted attention in November 2025 when hoarding erected around the location was targeted with graffiti opposing the development.

McDonald’s Australia said the restaurant would be operated by a local licensee and described the design as intended to complement West End’s streetscape.

Read: West End Bar Bosc to Close After 13 Years on Vulture Street

Nearby residents and businesses have been advised that construction firm Store Tec will carry out overnight works between 9pm and 6am from 1 June through to 3 July, with most activity expected to wind up by 1am on each working night.

No opening date has been confirmed.

Published 2-June-2026

West End Bar Bosc to Close After 13 Years on Vulture Street

One of West End’s most loved local institutions is calling last drinks. Bosc, the craft beer and gin bar that has been a fixture on Vulture Street for 13 years, will close its doors for good on 20 June.

Read: Cheers to West End: Exploring Brisbane’s Vibrant Bar Scene

Owner Emily Tankey confirmed the closure in May, describing the decision as one she reached after failing to agree on terms for a new lease with her landlord. A significant rent increase was ultimately the push that brought things to a head.

It is a bittersweet end for a bar that, by all accounts, is going out at the top of its game. Bosc has reportedly been recording some of the strongest trade figures in its entire history in the lead-up to the announcement.

Ms Tankey opened Bosc in 2013 with a clear focus on locally minded craft beer and Australian gin, and the bar quickly built a devoted following. Over more than a decade, it became the kind of place where regulars turned into friends, and friends turned into family.

In an Instagram post announcing the closure, Ms Tankey captured that spirit with characteristic warmth. “Bosc has been the best continuous house party I’ve ever thrown,” she wrote. “I’ve made lifelong friends, taught your kids how to pour their first beer, and honestly I have had the time of my life.”

That sense of genuine community is something customers have long recognised. A Google review describes Bosc as having “a unique charm, with an impressive variety of craft beers and a great selection of Australian gins,” praising the warm atmosphere and the fact that Ms Tankey herself was so often present, “always smiling and making you feel right at home.”

For Ms Tankey, the bar has been far more than a business. She has spoken about the deep personal connections it forged, including friendships that have stretched the full 13 years, invitations to weddings, and even meeting her partner through the community that gathered around the bar. Some of the most important people in her life, she has said, came directly out of Bosc.

Letting go of something so meaningful is never straightforward, and Ms Tankey acknowledged there would never have been an easy time to walk away. But she also struck an optimistic note. In her Instagram post, she wrote that she was, in her own words, “pretty excited about what’s next.”

That next chapter involves relocating full-time to Melbourne, where she already spends a significant portion of her time. She will be pouring her energy into her craft beer brand, Better Together, and completing a masters degree in accounting.

Bosc will not go quietly. Ms Tankey and her team are planning a send-off that reflects the spirit of how the bar began. “Giulio and I have some pretty special things lined up to make sure Bosc gets sent off exactly the way it started,” she wrote on Instagram.

Read: New Rooftop Bar Proposed for Popular West End Hotel

The response from the community has been emotional. Followers have flooded the Instagram announcement with messages of love and farewell. “You will be forever missed, I’ll always love Bosc,” wrote one commenter. Another offered: “Thanks for the good times and memories. Here’s to your next epic chapter.”

Last drinks will be poured on 20 June. For anyone who has ever pulled up a stool at Bosc, between now and then is the time to get in one final round.

Published 28-May-2026

Plans for West End Community Health Hub Abandoned as Historic Police Station Goes to Market

A heritage Queenslander dating to 1884 that once served as West End’s police station has been put to market, ending plans to transform the site at Boundary Street into a health and housing hub for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in Brisbane’s inner south.

Read: Old West End Police Station to be Converted as a Community Centre

The deal struck under the former Labor administration was not carried forward, with Queensland’s new administration citing a lack of allocated funding for capital works and operational costs. Not-for-profit services provider Micah Projects had planned to develop it into a centre offering health, housing, and legal services to the local community.

The building sat vacant from 2021, when police relocated to newer premises on Vulture Street. Ownership was transferred from Queensland Police Service to the housing department in early 2022, with the intention of repurposing it for community use.

A Deal That Never Crossed the Line

Those plans gained momentum in April 2025, when the administration pledged $10 million towards the project. The funding was intended to cover capital costs for the new health and housing clinic, and would have complemented Micah Projects’ own $6.1 million investment already committed to the initiative. The federal pledge was contingent on a finalised land-transfer agreement being reached with Queensland.

That agreement never eventuated. Families, Seniors and Disability Services Minister Amanda Camm said the deal left by the previous administration lacked adequate funding, noting that no state money had been set aside for either the capital works or the ongoing operational costs tied to the proposed development. She said any decision about public assets had to account for all associated costs.

Queensland Police Service confirmed the site was transferred back to QPS in 2025 after it was assessed as not fit for purpose for a community services hub. QPS then engaged a commercial real estate agent to manage a sale process it described as fair, equitable and transparent. Further detail on how the not-fit-for-purpose determination was made was not provided by QPS or the minister’s office. Decisions about the future use and sale of surplus public assets are routinely made by the relevant department without public disclosure of internal assessments.

From Community Hub to Development Opportunity

The property, located at 96 Boundary Street, was marketed by commercial agents C Property QLD, whose listing described it as a rare inner-city opportunity suited to developers, investors and owner-occupiers. The 1,113-square-metre, District Centre-zoned site was offered for a wide range of potential uses, including mixed-use development, residential, medical, retail and office. The listing noted several value-add possibilities, including raising the existing building, building beneath it, or constructing a new structure to the rear. The expression of interest campaign closed in March 2026.

C Property QLD declined to comment on the outcome of the sale process, citing commercial-in-confidence obligations.

Read: West End Charity Delivers Mobile Medical Service to the Homeless and Disadvantaged

The site sits directly opposite the $1.2 billion West Village precinct and within walking distance of Fish Lane, placing it squarely in one of Brisbane’s most rapidly changing urban neighbourhoods. That location, which made it attractive for community services, also made it a compelling prospect for private development.

The move marks a change in direction for one of West End’s most recognised heritage properties, which had been in public hands since 1884.

Published 28-May-2026

The Last of Its Kind: West End’s Untouched Postwar Home Fetches $2.41M

A four-bedroom postwar home perched on one of West End’s most tightly held streets has sold for the first time in 57 years, fetching $2.415 million at auction.

Read: West End’s Elisi Residences to Break Ground Mid-2026

The home at 43 Bristol Street changed hands on 16 May 2026 after four brothers made the difficult decision to sell the family property following the passing of their parents, according to listing agent Ben Osbourne of Ray White. The home had been in the family since it was built and was offered to market in its original, unmodified condition on a 574-square-metre block.

A local developer who already lives on Bristol Street was the winning bidder, seeing off three other buyers including couples from Ascot and New Farm in a 10-minute auction. Seven bidders had registered on the day. Mr Osbourne revealed properties like this are increasingly scarce, with perhaps only two comparable postwar homes coming to market in West End each year, and that the level of interest still took him by surprise given the current cost of building.

The decision to sell the home without any staging or renovation was deliberate. Mr Osbourne said the raw, unaltered quality of the property was itself part of the appeal, and that buyers responded to it rather than being put off. The developer who purchased it has indicated plans to return the home to its former character.

The sale comes amid a broader shift in a suburb with a rich and layered history. West End has long been home to students, artists, activists and musicians, earning a reputation as Brisbane’s cultural heartland. Musgrave Park sits at the centre of much of that history, playing host to the suburb’s First Nations community through events like the annual NAIDOC Week Family Fun Day, and marking a pivotal moment in Brisbane’s queer history when the inaugural Pride Rally and March finished there in 1990.

West End Median House Price

The numbers tell a story of rapid change. A decade ago, the median house price in West End sat at around $800,000. In 2026, it climbed to $$2,075,000, a rise of 21.5 per cent in the past year alone, according to realestate.com’s latest data.

Mr Osbourne noted that among the active bidders at Saturday’s auction were young families hoping to buy into the local school catchment, something he says would have been unthinkable in West End five years ago. Construction activity across the suburb, he added, is now constant, with high-end developments attracting finished product prices of around $6 million.

Read: Function Well Has Arrived in West End, and It’s Unlike Anything Else on Brisbane’s Southside

With Mr Osbourne tipping a $10 million sale as the threshold that will cement West End’s status as Brisbane’s next prestige suburb, the auction at 43 Bristol Street has made one thing clear: the suburb’s postwar bones are being recognised as something worth holding onto, even as the neighbourhood around them keeps changing.

Published 26-May-2026

West End Arts Venue Featured in Dancing With The Stars Spin-off

Photo Credit: John-PaulLangbroekMP/Facebook

A West End landmark will step into the international dance spotlight, with the Thomas Dixon Centre among the Brisbane locations used for Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, a new Robert Irwin-hosted series following emerging dancers competing for a professional place in the franchise.

West End Steps Into The Dance Spotlight

West End’s Thomas Dixon Centre has become part of a new chapter in the Dancing with the Stars franchise, with the Robert Irwin-hosted spin-off completing filming in Brisbane.

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is an ABC US series produced by BBC Studios. The show is hosted by Queensland-born wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, who was previously named champion of Dancing with the Stars season 34.

The series follows 12 up-and-coming dancers as they live together and compete for a place as a professional dancer in the next season of Dancing with the Stars. Unlike the main program, the focus is on emerging dance talent seeking a professional role within the franchise.

Thomas Dixon Centre Among Brisbane Filming Locations

Filming took place in Brisbane earlier in 2026, with locations including the Thomas Dixon Centre in West End, the home of Queensland Ballet.

The choice of location gives the series a clear connection to Brisbane’s performing arts scene. The Thomas Dixon Centre is closely associated with dance in the city, making it a natural setting for a program centred on ballroom performers competing for a place on a major television stage.

The production also brought screen work to Brisbane during filming, with an estimated $7.2 million contribution and around 110 local cast and crew employed.

Photo Credit: John-PaulLangbroekMP/Facebook

Robert Irwin Leads The New Format

For Robert Irwin, The Next Pro continues his connection with Dancing with the Stars, moving from competitor to host.

The judging line-up includes Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas, bringing established dance figures into the new competition format. The series is produced by BBC Studios, with Conrad Green serving as showrunner and executive producer.

BBC Studios’ recent work connected to Queensland also includes the upcoming Bluey feature film from Brisbane’s Ludo Studio.

Brisbane-filmed Series Heads to US Television

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is scheduled to premiere on Monday 13 July on ABC in the United States.

The series places a local arts venue within a new dance-focused television format. For Brisbane, it adds another screen production to the city’s recent film and television activity, while giving the Thomas Dixon Centre a role in a program built around the next generation of professional dancers.

Published 21-May-2026