BRISBANE POWERHOUSE EXPANDS ITS RIVERSIDE PRECINCT IN NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ICONIC AUGATHELLA SPIEGELTENT
16 SEP 2026
Brisbane Powerhouse today announced an exciting new partnership with The Augathella Spiegeltent, with the much-loved venue relocating from Wynnum to a new home in New Farm as a 300-capacity space opening October 2026, just in time to host Brisbane Writers Festival and Melt Festival.
The Augathella Spiegeltent is the only Belgian-designed, Australian-made Spiegeltent in the world, half Spiegeltent, half shearing shed, and unmistakably Queensland. Spotted by Peter and Stephanie Oliver in 2023, the venue was brought back to life through a partnership between the Augathella and Wynnum communities, Murweh Shire Council and Tom Oliver Productions. Its site in Wynnum has been generously gifted by BMD to support the venue’s renovation since 2024; with that site now slated for development, the Spiegeltent needed a new long-term home.
Construction begins 11 September, marking the next stage in Brisbane Powerhouse’s ongoing investment in its riverside precinct and expanding the site’s capacity to host artists, events, functions and audiences. Brisbane Powerhouse’s full program will continue throughout the works, with New Farm Park remaining open and welcoming visitors as always.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the reinvented Augathella would give Brisbane Powerhouse a vibrant new space for artists and audiences.
“Brisbane Powerhouse is one of our city’s great cultural destinations and this is another exciting step in growing that riverside precinct,” Cr Schrinner said.
“More capacity means more opportunities for artists and more nights out for audiences in Australia’s lifestyle capital.
“This is about creating more to see and do for Brisbane residents and continuing to attract world-class events our city is renowned for.”
Brisbane Powerhouse CEO and Artistic Director Louise Bezzina said the partnership reflects a broader ambition for the precinct’s future. “Augathella has always had its own personality, it’s the kind of space that surprises people the first time they walk in,” she said.
“That’s exactly why this partnership matters. We’re not just growing our footprint; we’re deepening what this precinct can offer. More possibilities for artists to make ambitious work, and more reasons for audiences to keep coming back.”
Tom Oliver, Founder and Artistic Director of Tom Oliver Productions, said the move represented an exciting new chapter for a venue that had already lived several extraordinary lives.
“This Spiegeltent has already had a remarkable journey, from Queensland’s 150th birthday celebrations, to a shed in Augathella, to being brought back to life in Wynnum,” Oliver said.
“What makes this next chapter so exciting is that we can finally use this incredible venue for what it was built to do, host performing artists and audiences throughout the year. In Wynnum, we could only open the doors for a few weeks each year because of the temporary infrastructure required. Brisbane Powerhouse gives us a genuine year-round platform, meaning more shows, more audiences and more work for local artists, performers, musicians, technicians and arts workers.
“And while The Augie might physically be moving, Wynnum, Augathella and Malle in Belgium – where it was designed – are part of its DNA and always will be. With Brisbane 2032 just over five years away, it feels like the right next chapter for The Augie.”
Importantly, Wynnum Fringe will continue.
The festival has been part of Brisbane’s bayside cultural calendar for seven years, predating the arrival of The Augathella Spiegeltent, and will remain an important part of Tom Oliver Productions’ program.
Planning is underway for the festival’s 2027 format, as Tom Oliver Productions explores a sustainable model that will allow Wynnum Fringe to continue creating arts and cultural experiences on the bayside.
The Augathella Spiegeltent will also become the new home of Queensland Fringe from July 2027, with Tom Oliver Productions and Brisbane Powerhouse co-curating productions in the space year-round, a strategic partnership in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The new chapter comes with a fresh look. The redesign, to be revealed come October, leans into contrast: a gloss black contemporary façade, illuminated signage and clean architectural lines set against Augathella’s existing rustic corrugated iron shell. Inside, the venue is dressed head to toe in rich crimson velvet with new black vinyl flooring through the auditorium and black marine carpet in the foyer.
The redesign was led by set and event designer Bruce McKinven, whose 30 year career spans Australia’s leading theatre and dance companies and major festival sites, including Brisbane Powerhouse’s Night Feast, Hobart’s Dark Mofo and Adelaide’s Writers’ Week.
