Brisbane Is About to Get a Taste of Northeastern Brazil
If you’ve never heard of forró, that’s kind of the point. Queensland Forró Festival is Brisbane’s first dedicated celebration of the Brazilian dance and music style, and it’s landing in Fortitude Valley from May 8 to 10 with a lineup that’s genuinely hard to find anywhere else in Australia.
The three-day festival marks the first time a live forró band has been brought directly from Brazil to Brisbane, with Trio Dona Zefa making the trip alongside international instructors specialising in traditional forró pé-de-serra, the roots-driven style that comes out of Brazil’s northeast. There are 18 workshops across the weekend covering every level from total beginner to people who already know what they’re doing, plus social dancing sessions, cultural discussions, and the kind of atmosphere that tends to produce new friendships by Sunday afternoon.
You don’t need to know how to dance to show up. That’s what the workshops are for.
Queensland Forró Festival
When: 8 – 10 May 2026, 12pm – 6pm daily
Where: Elements Collective, 17 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley
Tickets: queenslandforrofestival.com.au
