Festival Announces World Premiere

The third annual World Science Festival Brisbane, supported by the Queensland Government, is set to take over the streets, parks and cultural precincts of Brisbane when it returns with a bang from 21 – 25 March 2018.

Hosted by Queensland Museum, the 2018 festival will focus on ‘humanity’ as scientists from across the globe delve into what makes us human, how humanity has advanced, and how science is working to ensure we live better for longer.

Chair of the Board of Queensland Museum David Conry said for five days Brisbane would be immersed in the wonders of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with the popular regional program also returning next year.

He said the centrepiece of next year’s World Science Festival Brisbane would be the world premiere of Steven Spielberg’s 1977 sci-fi masterpiece Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Concert. “For the first time, anywhere in the world, audiences will be able to experience John Williams’ magnificent score conducted by Nicholas Buc and performed in its entirety by the Queensland Festival Philharmonic accompanied by the Resonance of Birralee choir.

“This special event promises to be a thrilling staging of this much-loved cinema classic with its iconic score,” Mr Conry said. “It follows on from a similarly exciting ‘live’ movie experience staged for the 2017 festival earlier this year, which featured A Live Presentation of 2001: A Space Odyssey. “With more than 100 events for all ages at next year’s festival, I encourage everyone to start planning a visit to this incredible celebration of science.”