Gloria The curtains rise on QTC’s latest production by award-winning playwright Elaine Acworth on Saturday – an electrifying show starring stage heavyweights Christen O’Leary, Anthony Standish and Naomi Price. Bille Brown Studio 78 Montague Rd, West End. Saturday July 19, tickets $33-$60.

Poetic Songs Poetry meets music with a sprinkle of exquisite vocals in QSO’s Saturday night concert at QPAC, featuring soprano Katherine Broderick and songs from Brahms, Strauss and Bartok. Concert Hall, QPAC. Saturday July 19 8pm. Tickets $85.

Winter Design Markets GOMA turns artisan bazaar on Saturday, with top Brisbane artists and designers offering their beautiful hand-crafted wares for sale – perfect shopping op for that unique gift. GOMA Saturday July 19 9am-4.00pm. Free.

Colombian Independence Day The inaugural Brisbane all-ages festival celebrating Colombia’s independence lights up a Valley street this Sunday, with traditional food, drink, music and dance and best of all, it’s family friendly. GPO Ballow St cnr Ann St Fortitude Valley Jul 20 12-late A$20 CU13 Free

Scandinavian Film Festival Brisbane’s first Scandinavian Film Festival brings a fantastic line-up of films from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Finland to the city. Palace Centro, Fortitude Valley, July 18-20.

Edited by Jodi Panayatov from Must Do Brisbane.

Friday July 18

5.00pm. The Seed Project. Head to the Melbourne Street Green for free live music featuring some of Brisbane’s best up-and-coming musicians including Miss Elm, Jackson James Smith and Electrik Lemonade. Free. More information online.

6.00pm. Knockoff. Kick-start your weekend with free stand-up comedy on the Turbine Platform. Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Tonight features MC Cameron Duggan with Joe Shaffer, Rhi Down and Jacob Lingard. Free. More information online.

6.30pm. The Legend of Luke Kelly. 30 years after the death of beloved Irish musician Luke Kelly, musician Chris Kavanagh pays tribute to him in this special folk & Celtic music show. Featuring special guest Paddy Casey. The Tivoli, 52 Costin Street, Bowen Hills. Tickets from $76 available online.

7.30pm. No News Is Good News. Discover the secrets of TV news in this fast-paced comedy musical. Join the news team as they battle for ratings, and try to survive technical meltdowns, arguments, love affairs and embarrassing situations. It’s a wonder the 6 o’clock news ever gets to air at all! Studio Theatre Cafe, 645 Wynnum Road, Morningside. Tickets $40/$35 available online.

8.00pm. The Breakfast Club. Five high school students find themselves in Saturday morning detention. As they scribble away at their essays, the quintet will find out there’s more to them than just a label. This adaptation of John Hughes’ cult 1985 coming-of-age film is a must for anyone who’s ever felt misunderstood. Tickets $31/$25 available online.

8.00pm. Australian Youth Orchestra in Concert. Australian violin prodigy Ray Chen and the AYO will perform an exciting program of works including Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique. Concert Hall, QPAC, South Bank. Tickets $59 available online.

8.00pm. Dave Graney. One of Australia's most talented and snappily dressed musicians is touring his new album Frightful Wiggings. Beetle Bar, Upper Roma Street, Brisbane. Tickets $22 at the door. More information online.

Saturday July 19

9.00am. Mandela Day. The Queensland African Communities Council (QACC) has initiated Mandela Day as an opportunity for African communities to give back to the Queensland community. The idea is to volunteer 67 minutes of your time to honour Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of service. Joining forces with the Brisbane City Council and Moorooka Habitat Group, they will plant trees and re-vegetate parks and green reserves in Moorooka, known as Brisbane’s Little Africa. Find out how to help online.

10.00am. Hot Modernism. This fascinating new exhibition takes visitors on an in-depth journey of discovery of mid-century Queensland architecture, iconic buildings and the stories behind it all. Level 2, State Library of Queensland, South Bank. Free. More information online.

10.00am. Pattern Bandits. Brisbane artist Jemima Wyman has transformed GOMA's Children's Art Centre to explore the relationships between pattern, people and architecture. Children can enter the brightly coloured and highly patterned world of the artist and explore different patterns, from kaleidoscopes, tessellations, camouflage and harlequin, with specially designed hands-on and multimedia and activities. Gallery of Modern Art, South Bank. Free admission. More information online.

10.00am. David Malouf and Friends. Five contemporary artists have paid tribute to the beloved Brisbane author by creating new works for this special exhibition, inspired by the themes and layers of his works. Malouf has then responded to the new works in accompanying texts. A great way to interpret Brisbane through the eyes of creatives. Museum of Brisbane, City Hall. Free. More information online.

2.00pm. Charlotte’s Web. E.B. White’s beloved children’s classic has been ingeniously brought to life on stage to enchant young audiences. Join Wilbur the Pig, Templeton the rat and Charlotte the spider as they form remarkable bonds in this heartwarming tale of love, friendship and the cycle of life. Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace. Tickets $16 available online.

2.00pm & 7.00pm. Sex With Strangers.  When star sex blogger and memoirist Ethan tracks down his idol, the gifted but obscure novelist Olivia, he finds they both crave what the other possesses. Sex with Strangers is a fast-paced, witty and compelling story that explores the clash of the public and the personal when love and the digital age collide. Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Tickets $38 available online.

2.00pm & 7.30pm. 1984. George Orwell’s harrowing future parable comes to life once more as Shake & Stir return to the Cremorne Theatre. Follow everyman Winston Smith as he takes tiny steps of rebellion against an oppressive government led by Big Brother. A clinically sharp and thought-provoking production. QPAC, South Bank. Tickets $54 available online.

2.00pm & 7.30pm. Managing Carmen. What do you get when you combine a Brownlow medallist, AFL player and cross dresser? Find out in this poignant, hilarious theatre production by playwright David Williamson. QUT Gardens Theatre, X Block, Gardens Point Precinct, George Street. Tickets $42/$34 available online.

7.30pm. La Boheme. Whisk yourself away to Bohemian Paris and become entranced with the love lives of rent-dodging flatmates on the edge of society. Opera Queensland’s version sets the story in 1914, on the eve of war, and features some of the state’s most exciting young singers. Queensland Conservatorium of Music, South Bank. Tickets $71 to $123 available online.

7.30pm. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Join the lovers, the fairies and the mechanicals as they cause mischief and mayhem in pursuit of true love. William Shakespeare’s classic comes to life at Nash Theatre. 52 Merthyr Road, New Farm. Tickets $20/$15 available online.

7.30pm. The Red Shoes. A woman's obsession with dance leads to her ultimate self-destruction in this story of passion and jealousy. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's legendary gothic fairytale and the 1948 Academy Award winning film, The Red Shoes is a twisted tale of delusion and reality intertwined with beauty in a stunning romantic fantasy. Playhouse, QPAC, South Bank. Tickets $49 to $65 available online.

7.30pm. Ruby Moon. A cyclical story of loss and fear, Ruby Moon explores the relentlessness of grief as two parents continue to return to the same place with more questions than they have answers. The Arts Centre, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. Tickets $27/$24 available online.

8.00pm. Celtic Illusion. Get carried away by this fusion of dance and illusion created by Australian dancer Anthony Street. Logan Entertainment Centre, 170 Wembley Road, Logan Central. Tickets $59.90/$49.90 available online.

Sunday July 20

9.00am. Boundary Street Markets. Housed in and around the historic old Peter’s Ice Cream Factory on the corner of Boundary and Mollison streets, these markets feature a unique collection of pop up shops by local artisans, designers, collectors, upcyclers and producers. West End. Free. More information online.

9.30am. Deep Oceans. Journey to a dark and mysterious world deep below the Earth’s surface at this exhibition which showcases odd real-life creatures as well as myths and legends about monsters of the deep. Queensland Museum, South Bank. Tickets $12 available online.

10.00am. Harvest. This new art, food and film exhibition at GOMA features art delicious-looking enough to make your mouth water. See installations, bold patterns and flavours, a fully-constructed Asian supermarket and more. GOMA, South Bank. Free. More information online.

10.00am. The Many Lives of Moreton Bay. Picturesque Moreton Bay – Aboriginal name Quandamooka – conjures up images of sandy beaches, fishing trips and marine life but the beauty of the Bay is not just skin deep. Few know the rich and diverse history of this natural treasure located on Brisbane’s doorstep. Museum of Brisbane, City Hall. Free. More information online.

11.00am. Art from the Margins. For the first time, homeless and disadvantaged artists will exhibit their work at the iconic Brisbane City Hall in September, as part of a Wesley Mission project to help some of the most vulnerable in the community exhibit as professionals. Check out this open day to get a sense of what will be on offer. 44 Curwen Terrace, Chermside. Free. More information online.

5.00pm. The Umbilical Brothers: KidSHoW (not suitable for children). The comedy duo’s latest stage adventure features violence, sexual references, drug-taking and frequent coarse language. It’s entirely inappropriate for children, but if you’re an adult bring your inner child along and see how it copes. Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Tickets $44.90 available online.