Peaks to Points Festival Guided hikes of Spring Mountain, a history and nature walk around Coopers Plains, family kite-flying picnic in the park and a community nursery market are some of the great eco activities from Peaks to Points Festival this weekend. July 25-26. Mostly free.

Passion & Madness Popular Music on Sundays returns with effervescent host Guy Noble presiding over a morning of 19th century music and operatic wonderment featuring tenor Kang Wang and baritone David Wakeham. Concert Hall, QPAC. Sunday July 27 at 11.30am. Tickets $65-$75.

Christmas in July Dinner Cruise It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas on the river this weekend, as the Kookaburra Queens paddle steamers roll out a fantastic Yuletide feast and entertainment for family and friends. Saturday July 26 at 7.30pm (boarding 7pm). Tickets $99 adults, $49.50 children over 5.

The Gap Farmers’ Market - A mega new bi-monthly community market with fruit and veges from small regional farms, gourmet providores, a petting zoo, multicultural breakfast, entertainment and more. The Gap State School Cnr Waterworks and Settlement Rd The Gap Jul 27 6.30-11 Free

Edited by Jodi Panayotov from Must Do Brisbane.

Friday July 25

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 Liza-Jane, Emily and Jac Stone. Free. More information online.

6.00pm. Knockoff. Kick-start your weekend with free comedy on the Turbine Platform. Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Tonight enjoy improvised shenanigans courtesy of ImproMafia, taking all your suggestions and spinning them into scenes and songs. Free. More information online.

7.00pm. Sheppard. The Brisbane band with the catchy tunes will launch its album Bombs Away with this gig, supported by New Empire. Eatons Hill Hotel, 646 South Pine Road, Eatons Hill. Tickets $25 available online.

7.30pm. Gloria. QTC’s latest production by award-winning Brisbane playwright Elaine Acworth is an electrifying show starring stage heavyweights Christen O’Leary, Anthony Standish and Naomi Price. Bille Brown Studio, 78 Montague Road, West End. Tickets $33-$60 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.

7.30pm. Andrew Strong The Commitments. Based on the 1992 cult classic film, this tour recaptures the magic of the rags-to-riches tale of an Irish band who rise just shy of stardom. Featuring hits that received enormous chart success in Australia. The Tivoli, Costin Street, Bowen Hills. Tickets $59.80 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. Perfect Tripod. Tripod and Eddie Perfect team up for Australian Songs, a breathtaking harmony-pop experience from four of the most gloriously warm and seasoned voices that ever entwined across this wide brown land. Take the alternately rib-tickling and tear-jerking giants of Melbourne's live musical/ comedy scene, add the peerless vocal and arranging skills of one-man showbiz powerhouse Eddie Perfect, turn them loose on the Great Australian Songbook, and let those neck hairs run free. Concert Hall, QPAC. Tickets $49.90 available online.

Saturday July 26

9.00am. Red Hill Fair. Enjoy a beautiful day out at the 32nd annual Red Hill Fair. Rides, live music, children’s entertainment, food stalls, markets, a petting zoo,  a trash & treasure and more. This is a fundraising event for the Red Hill Kindergarten. Woolcock Park, Red Hill. Free. More information online.

9.30am. Top Secret: Licence to Spy. In this new interactive exhibit, you get to act as a secret agent, uncovering facts and investigating leads to determine if any of the suspects can be implicated in a crime. See in the dark with a night vision camera, dodge laser beams without setting off alarms, break a series of codes and explore disguises. If you're a wannabe James Bond, head to the Sciencentre. Queensland Museum, South Bank. Tickets $14.50 available online.

10.00am. Hogswatch in July. Fans of the Discworld, unite! This festival of all things Terry Pratchett will feature roving performers, a baby animal farm, vintage clothing market, food stalls, costume competition and of course, CMOT Dibbler’s famous sausage sizzle. Hardgrave Park, Petrie Terrace (opposite Brisbane Arts Theatre). Free. More information online.

10.00am. RedFest. The annual two-day Redlands Drama Festival features one-act plays from a variety of local theatre companies around southeast Queensland. A special feature of this year’s event is a session dedicated to radio plays, presented live onstage with foley sound effects. Redlands Performing Arts Centre, 2-16 Middle Street, Cleveland. Tickets $15 for all sessions. More information 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.

1.30pm & 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.

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.

7.30pm. Pale Blue Dot. A triumphant playwriting debut from Brisbane actor/writer Kathryn Marquet, this whimsical, thoughtful and funny production stars Hugh Parker as Joel, a Toowoomba insurance agent and new father whose encounter with an alien-obsessed client draws him into a world of conspiracies and close encounters. La Boite Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove. Tickets $25 - $68 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. White Porcelain Doll. Inspired by the horror stories of Natascha Kampusch and the three Cleveland women held hostage for 10 years, this contemporary work uses exquisitely crafted movement, theatre, sound and video art to explore the incredible strength and tenacity of such women to overcome the cruelty of their captors and survive. Judith Wright Centre, Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. Tickets $32/$27 available online.

8.00pm. Take Me Home: The Music & Life of John Denver. Singer Bevan Gardiner takes you on a musical journey of one of the world's most captivating and celebrated men in this celebration of the famed country singer. Through the exclusive film footage, his love for life, and concerns for the environment are poignantly portrayed in this stage presentation. John's love for life, concerns for the environment, through to his premature death are all included within the presentation. Concert Hall, QPAC. Tickets $69 available online.

Sunday July 27

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. Picnic in the Park. Now in its sixth year, Picnic in the Park is Queensland’s biggest outdoor picnic and the Cerebral Palsy League’s annual festival celebrating ability and diversity. Get along for wildlife and magic shows, children’s entertainment, a live Scooby Doo show and music. Celebration Lawn, Roma Street Parklands. Free. More information 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.

12.00pm. Pop-Up Suitcase Rummage. Vintage, artwork, bric-a-brac, clothing, books, jewellery, seconds, hand-made, shoes, records, music, badges, cards, handmade paper… you name it, it’s for sale at this shabby chic market. Come for a bargain, a swap, or an old fashioned haggle. Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Free. More information online.

2.00pm. The Wizard of Oz. A tornado whisks Dorothy and her little dog Toto from Kansas to the magical land of Oz, where she takes a long walk down a yellow brick road to try to find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard - while avoiding the Wicked Witch of the West. With the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion along for the ride, this magical tale will delight young and old. Redcliffe Cultural Centre, Downs St, Redcliffe. Tickets $40-$50 available online.

4.00pm. Mantra. This is the first Queensland performance in almost 15 years of Stockhausen’s seminal work, Mantra. Performed by the piano duo of Liam Viney and Anna Grinberg, the program also includes a world premiere by Australian avant-garde composer, Matthew Hindson. Commissioned by the University of Queensland, the innovative new work is for two pianos and electronics and is inspired by glitch and 8-bit video game music. Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Tickets $50/$35 available 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.