Realise your creative ambitions at 2025 Brisbane Anywhere Festival
Anywhere Festival brings your idea to reality... anywhere.
Theatre, comedy, dance, participatory, live art - any style of performance as well as film.
Free of the restrictions and financial pressures of traditional performance spaces, you can be ambitious, and have your work discovered in rent free non traditional performance spaces.
Anywhere is for anyone with a story to tell - emerging or established, experimental and mainstream, creative developments to touring shows, differently abled, LGBTIQA+, First Nations.
"Why get stuck on the fringe when you can perform anywhere?"
Brisbane Anywhere Festival : 18 July to 3 August 2025.
Reasons to be part
Creative Freedom and Flexibility
By putting you first and finding a space that works for your show instead of building a show that fits a theatre allows you to have complete creative freedom. You can perform anywhere... or very site specifically
Unique Venue Opportunities
Perform in your own home and backyard or think of the most insane place you'd like to present a show and work with us to secure rent free or low cost nooks and crannies.
Expanded Audience Reach
Extend your marketing reach in 50,000+ print programs, 400,000+ unique web site views and 2.3m socials reach and a place where audiences are looking for events.
Where Emerging artists are supported and established acts can experiment
Unrivalled support with local creative producers and festival directors with online courses and resources to make putting on a show easier. We're here and we've got you covered.
Like a fringe, but better
“Anywhere Festival’s low barrier to entry is really important – it’s what the Fringe festival used to be. Cheap, easy opportunities for performers to create and mount work without fear of bankrupting themselves.” 2024 Anywhere Festival Performer and Producer.
How does it work?
Anywhere Festival is a unique blend of a curated arts festival and an independent arts festival.
Anywhere Festival is responsible for a huge amount of new productions that are possible because removing the major costs of venues and the tech that goes with them frees you up to experiment and take risks in ways you couldn't when performing in a venue and the restrictions that go with that.
Stage 1: Develop Your Show Concept for the program
Where other festivals expect you to bring the product to us, we know it is vital to help you develop your idea and do everything we can to make it ready for the festival program. We know the most important work is at the beginning, before you confirm your show in the program.
Once your Expression of interest is successful, the first stage gives you access to our resources and the Anywhere Festival team to develop your show, and source rent-free or minimal cost non-traditional performance spaces. You’ll also join our online artist group, attend workshops, and receive discounts with partner organisations.
Stage 2: Lock in for program and work towards the production
Once your show concept, location and details are confirmed for the program, lock in with a sliding amount based on the number of ticket to sell. We've done this to make it easier for small scale one off shows - particularly back yard gigs - to be part of the festival and to provide the level of box office required for bigger shows.
Timeline - Development
1 Nov Expression of Interest Open.
9 Nov Online Information Session about 2025 Brisbane Anywhere Festival
30 Nov Expressions of Interest Close
1 Dec Invitation to participate
7 Dec Deadline to confirm Stage 1
14 Dec Workshop / Intensive #2 Non traditional location and venue sourcing intensive
3 Feb Workshop / Intensive #3 Show Concept Development and Festival Programming
22 Feb Workshop / Intensive #4 Confirming Session
Timeline - Presentation
5 April Marketing 101 Workshop
12 April Filming of all artist pitches on green screen + campaign phot and video shoot
15 April Deadline to confirm for program
19 April Publicity 101 Workshop
25 April Media Release and Media Images Due
Mid May Launch Full Program
17 Jul Opening Night Event
18 Jul Anywhere Festival shows start
3 Aug Anywhere Festival Final Day
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of events?
Any type of performance along with film.
What type of spaces?
Anywhere Festival is about performances anywhere but a theatre. Backyards, lounge rooms, offices, warehouses, parks. We are sponsored by Brisbane City Council with an arrangement to use public spaces. The intention is that you find the space that adds to your show, that you can use as is instead of converting the space into a theatre.
How big or small can shows be?
We have had one to one shows, online shows all the way up to shows for 200 people. The average capacity is 46. By keeping shows intimate, it allows for more flexibility in the types of spaces and also greatly reduces or eliminates your need to spend on tech, which along with the removal of venue costs means that you can pay yourself first.
Do we have to be available for the entire festival?
No. You can do one day, a weekend or the length of the festival. Your run can be contained within or overlap if it is a longer run.
The two stage approach seems different to previous years - why?
Feedback and experience tells us that the valuable resources we provide to you are not just when the festival happens after you lock in all your show details: it is all the work getting you there. We've received feedback that people didn't proceed early on because they were worried they might not find a venue. this way enables you to get all the value to help put your show together and then commit when you are all happy with everything for the program
Can we find our own venue separate to the Anywhere venues?
Absolutely. We'll just to get their details for the program and if the venue is also looking for other events, it can be made public on the Eventotron system.
Didn't Anywhere Festival have some traditional theatres the last couple of years?
Yes we did since COVID. Unfortunately, the thing that makes Anywhere Festival what it is is the use of nooks and crannies. We have tried to be flexible to performance spaces that charge hire, but don't believe it is the best way to present engaging performances and the feedback from festival participants has reinforced that decision.
Can we sell tickets separate to the Anywhere system?
No. In past festivals, we saw a 65% reduction in ticket sales from audiences buying across shows when customers needed to go to another web site to book tickets for one show. By managing the box office, we can also ensure you are paid fast, normally within 7 days of your last event and you filling out a wrap up survey.
What about international acts?
At this point we can not support visa applications for international acts.
If you have any other questions, email us at support@anywhere.is
Costs
We've created a way that allows you to develop your work first and then confirm. Stage 1 is about developing your idea into a full concept for the program, locking in venue for the festival program and Stage 2 is rehearsing, marketing and presenting in the festival.
Stage 1: Concept Development to Program Confirmation
The first stage begins when you are invited based on your Expression of Interest. It is about developing your idea, finding a location, knowing how you will market and confirming for inclusion in the print and online program. Get access to our resources and the Anywhere Festival team to develop your show, and source rent-free or minimal cost non-traditional performance spaces. You’ll also join our online artist group, attend workshops, and receive discounts with partner organisations. $145
Stage 2: Rehearse, Market and Present in the Festival
Once your show concept, location and details are confirmed for the program, lock in with a sliding amount based on the number of ticket to sell. We've done this to make it easier for small scale one off shows - particularly back yard gigs - to be part of the festival and to provide the level of box office required for bigger shows
$85 for 50 seats + $50 / every 100 seats of capacity.
Box Office %
You take 90% of the box office. The other 10% allows us to run and manage the box office for you, taking calls, answering queries and guiding audiences to buy tickets to your show.
Public Liability Insurance
Buy into Anywhere's umbrella coverage to cover you from rehearsals through to final performance. A risk assessment has to be provided and approved by us for the cover to be accepted. Some events will not be the covered and we recommend looking at other providers like DuckForCover to receive year long coverage instead.
Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we present Anywhere Festival, the Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi, Jinibara, Turrbal and Yuggera Peoples. We wish to pay respect to their Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their stories continue to play.
