17 things to do with your mum on Mother’s Day in Brisbane
If you owe your mother some special treatment but are drawing a blank, let us help.
Here are 17 ideas of things to do, see, listen to and eat in Brisbane on Sunday, May 12. We’ve brought together restaurant promotions, exhibitions, workshops, activities and shows. Tickets and seats were still available at the time of publication, but don’t dilly-dally.
And don’t forget to plan ahead if you’re thinking flowers. Here’s our list of top-notch Brisbane florists – be sure to order ASAP.
Art: Affordable Art FairWhy not help mum pick out a new artwork in a fun and stress-free setting? Arriving in Brisbane for the first time, the Affordable Art Fair is an opportunity to discover work from more than 40 galleries from Queensland and beyond, priced from $100. Watch artists in action, and see Dead Puppet Society flamingos roaming freely.Brisbane Showgrounds, May 9-12, Sun 10am-5pm, $21.35-$29.63. Buy tickets.
Musicals: Beauty and the Beast This lavish, four-star theatrical extravaganza combines high-tech stage magic with vocal and dancing prowess, not to mention 300 costumes. Disney’s classic musical is a beast of a show, and it’s hard not to fall in love with it.Lyric Theatre, QPAC, until Jun 9, Sun 1pm & 6.30pm, $80-$250. Buy tickets.
A bonsai Port Jackson fig on display at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha.
Gardens: Bimer Bonsai Club ExhibitionExemplars of the extraordinary craft of bonsai are on display this weekend. There are Make a Bonsai workshops at 11.30am and 3pm ($20), and bonsai for sale.Auditorium Building, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha, May 11-12, 9am-4pm. $0-$3.
Comedy: Brisbane Comedy Festival If your parent has a good sense of humour then the festival on Sunday has Kaz and Jude’s Menopausal Night Out with Judith Lucy and Kaz Cooke; loveable Luke Heggie in Grogan; Bron Lewis in Obviously; Grace Jarvis in Oh! The Horrors!; and some cosy crime in Murder Village: An Improvised Whodunnit.Until May 26, various venues, times and prices. Buy tickets.
Amusements: Escape Manor with roses and mimosasEscape Manor’s marketing team have their tongues in their cheeks when they say: “What better way to spend quality time with your family than being locked up together?” But seriously, challenges like escape rooms can be a lot of fun for families. Escape Manor is offering free gifts for mums, $9 ‘Momosas’ and unlimited hints for solving rooms like The Magician’s Secret, Cabin 13 and Wine Cellar.51 Edward Street, Brisbane, 10am-12am, $44-$46. Buy tickets.
Film: German Film FestivalAmong the screenings are the story of a mother and son confronting their misunderstandings in a bleak location in Not a Word; ensemble drama Dark Satellites featuring Nastassja Kinski; and From Hilde, With Love, the true story of a young German woman drawn into the anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War II.Palace Barracks and James Street, various times, $14-$21.50. Buy tickets.
Food & Drink: High tea at BacchusOne of Brisbane’s best restaurants is a safe bet on Mother’s Day and their high tea has raspberry tarts with raspberry curd and vanilla mousse, macarons, madeleines, dark chocolate mousse caramels, scones with jam and cream, Reuben sandwiches, sweet potato croquettes, cheesy mochi bread, truffle egg pillows, and seafood wraps of Moreton Bay bug, miso mayo and Oscietra caviar.9 Glenelg Street, South Bank, 11am, 1pm & 3pm, $89pp. Book a table.
Exhibitions: Italian Renaissance Alive at HOTA The makers of Van Gogh Alive present a multisensory experience featuring projections of works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Veronese and more, with an operatic score featuring music by Puccini and Verdi.Home of the Arts (HOTA) Gallery, Surfers Paradise, until Aug 4, 10am-4pm, $0-$39. Buy tickets.
Markets: Milton MarketsThese bustling weekly markets a stone’s throw from Lang Park cram a lot of goodness into a smallish space. Get a life-changing loaf from Artisan Bread Box; stock up on outlandish-looking fungi from No Mushroom No Life; or sample freeze-dried lollies from Mrs Frost. Street food offerings include arepas, Korean skewers, poffertjes and foot-long German sausages.Milton Green, Cribb Street, Milton, every Sunday 6am-12pm, free. Find more Sunday markets.
Food & Drink: Mother’s Day at the Glen HotelOpen for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Glen will additionally have two jumping castles to keep the kids out of the way, live music 1-5pm, and an LED board where you can post a message to your mum.Cnr Logan Road & Gaskell Street, Eight Mile Plains, 7am-late. Book a table.
Food & Drink: Mother’s Day at Howard Smith WharvesThere’s plenty happening under the bridge. Ciao Papi has an $85 set menu; Stanley is doing $149 “Mum Cha”; Felons Barrel Hall has family activities with kids eating free 11am-3pm; Greca has an optional $90 Mother’s Day menu; Yoko has an optional $95 menu; and Gigi is offering the $65 Gigi’s Homestyle Cooking Picnic (book ahead).Howard Smith Wharves, from 11am. Make a reservation.
Sport: Mother’s Day ClassicIf fitness is her thing then you can sign up for this 4km or 8km fun run, walk or stroll. Money raised helps fund breast cancer research.Russell Street, South Bank Parklands, departing 7.30am-8.50am, $44-$81. Register here.
Food & Drink: Mother’s Day High Tea at GoldfinchHotel restaurant Goldfinch in the CBD is putting on a high tea for Mother’s Day featuring baked cheesecake, green tea tiramisu, profiteroles, buttermilk scones with jam and lemon myrtle whipped cream and a tier of ribbon sandwiches. A gift bag of skin care and champagne is included.Cnr Ann & Roma streets, Brisbane, 12pm & 3pm, $39 (child), $85 or $95 (includes a glass of Piper-Heidsieck on arrival). Book a table.
Food & Drink: Mother’s Day High Tea at Old Government HouseOld Government House next to QUT and the Botanic Gardens is one of Brisbane’s most beautiful historic buildings. Sit on the veranda or inside the sandstone edifice to enjoy a lavish high tea and afterwards explore the upstairs William Robinson Gallery.2 George Street, Brisbane, 10am & 1pm, $94.90pp. Book a table.
Exhibitions: mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri Judy Watson at QAGFour decades of beautiful work by this great Queensland artist are comprehensively surveyed in this free show whose title translates as “tomorrow the tree grows stronger”. When you’re done looking at the art, a lunch at one of QAGOMA’s restaurants rarely disappoints.Queensland Art Gallery, until Aug 11, daily 10am-5pm, free.
Food & Drink: Seafood lunch at the Belvedere Hotel RedcliffeSpoil mum with a seafood platter piled high with lobster, prawns, oysters, crab, mussels and fish. The signature Bel’s Lobster Pie features scallops and chunks of lobster in a lemon and dill sauce served with creamy mashed potatoes and crisp kale. The Aperol Kombi Van will be serving Aperol cocktails from 11am with a free gift for mothers when purchasing one.Belvedere Hotel, Woody Point, Sun, 8am-11pm. Book a table.
Music: Sunny Luwe & FriendsProud Wailwan woman and Gold Coast singer Sunny Luwe recently released her first album, Flowers in the Sky, blending pop, soul, rock, blues, and funk. Join her in The Triffid’s beer garden for her regular Sunday residency, joined by Sienna & Sue Ray. It’s all ages and dog friendly.The Triffid, 3-6pm, free.