Brisbane is set to become the only city other than New York to host the World Science Festival, thanks to the Queensland Museum landing a six-year deal to host the prestigious event.
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Notable previous attendees in New York have included Stephen Hawking, Brian Cox, Oliver Sacks, Richard Dawkins, the Coen Brothers, Harrison Ford, Bill Bryson and Alec Baldwin.
Actor and World Science Festival board member Alan Alda is the first headline name announced for the Brisbane.
"It makes me deliriously happy to see the World Science Festival bring art and science together again: and for the World Science Festival Brisbane to bring this unique blend to Australia," he said.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government had contributed $650,000 to help ensure Brisbane was the Asia-Pacific home of the event, the first of which will be held on 9-13 March 2016.
"This is an enormous coup for the Queensland Museum to be able to attract this world class festival to Brisbane, the first time ever it has been away from New York," she said.
"This is going to mean a huge opportunity not just for local residents, but for tourists across Australia
"Tourism and Major Events expects some 60,000 people will be coming into Brisbane… it is going to be a week of activity."
Queensland Museum CEO Suzanne Miller said staff were incredibly excited by the opportunity to create a new signature event in the River City.
"It is an incredible celebration of science, the arts, the performing arts," she said.
"We will be bringing some of the greatest minds in science and art to Brisbane to celebrate with everyone.
"There will be some really big names."
The World Science Festival was founded in 2008 by physicist and author Brian Greene and Emmy award winning producer Tracy Day.
