GOMA Friday Nights: Presence

Elevate your Friday nights this winter as GOMA transforms into the city's coolest after-dark retreat. Running every Friday from May 1 to June 26, GOMA Friday Nights: Presence features an intimate vinyl listening bar, leading Brisbane DJs and captivating pop-up performances with a backdrop of stunning world-class art.

This immersive after-work experience provides a whole new way to finish the week, inviting visitors to explore the gallery’s latest blockbuster exhibition under a completely different light.

The heart of the evening is the mesmerizing work of Olafur Eliasson, one of contemporary art’s most influential figures. Visitors can wander through large-scale installations that play with light, color, and perception, including the vast, pulsing energy of a glowing sun and an ethereal rainbow emerging from a shimmering curtain of mist.

From a meticulously constructed riverbed to a captivating SOS signal sent out into the darkness, the exhibition comes to life as you move through each space, making it a must-see exclusive for Brisbane art lovers.

Beyond the art, GOMA is putting its own spin on the global trend with an intimate Vinyl Listening Bar. Here, guests can settle into a moody, atmospheric space to hear records played as they were meant to be heard, with a different selector taking the decks every week.

The energy extends to the River Room Bar, where leading Brisbane DJs spin sets inspired by the exhibition, while dancers from the local freestyle community pay tribute to Eliasson’s breakdancing roots with high-energy pop-up performances.

To complete the experience, the gallery offers a curated menu of Japanese-inspired cocktails and delicious snacks, making it the ultimate destination for an end-of-week catch-up.

Whether you are there for the live soundscapes composed by award-winning percussionists or simply to bask in the pervasive glow of the installations, these Friday nights provide an invigorating addition to the city's cultural scene.

QAGOMA is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com

Image captions top to bottom:

Olafur Eliasson / ‘Pluriverse assembly’, Installation view, GOMA 2026 / Photograph J. Ruckli / © QAGOMA

Olafur Eliasson / 'Presence', Installation view, GOMA 2026 / Photograph J. Ruckli / © QAGOMA

Olafur Eliasson / ' Your negotiable vulnerability seen from two perspectives', Installation view, GOMA 2026 / Photograph C. Callistemon / © QAGOMA

Pop up performance at opening weekend of ‘Olafur Eliasson: Presence’, led by artist Vanessa Tomlinson, inside GOMA 2025 / Photograph: C. Baxter / © QAGOMA

Meanjin Freestyle Dance Community, GOMA 2026 / Photograph: J. Ruckli / © QAGOMA

Olafur Eliasson / ‘Beauty', Installation view, GOMA 2026 / Photograph J. Ruckli / © QAGOMA

Olafur Eliasson / ‘Firefly city’, Installation view, GOMA 2026 / Photograph J. Ruckli / © QAGOMA