The 365-Day Hustle: Inside Louise Bezzina’s First Year at Brisbane Powerhouse

Down at the New Farm Park River Hub on a brilliant spring morning, Florentijn Hofman’s 15-metre, hot-pink Rubber Duck bobbed gently on the waters of the Brisbane River/Maiwar. Around the pontoon, performers from Mr First Nation in striking drag king regalia mingled with locals donning vibrant Dylan Mooney prints for Onesie World. Broadcast cameras and press crews had packed the riverfront for the opening media call of Melt Festival 2026.

Just as the formal proceedings wrapped up, Louise Bezzina stepped to one side for an impromptu conversation. Facing back toward the massive brick façade of Brisbane Powerhouse, relaxed and quick with an easy laugh, she paused to reflect on community, creative risk, and what it really takes to steer Queensland’s foremost contemporary arts hub.

Her official title is CEO and Artistic Director of Brisbane Powerhouse. The day-to-day reality, however, is far more kinetic.

"I have officially been in the role for one year, which is quite amazing," Bezzina says with a warm grin. "It’s been a really exciting, fast-paced adventure of a year."

The Powerhouse Circle

For Bezzina, taking the helm at Brisbane Powerhouse in late October 2025 marked the completion of a quarter-century loop. "I have been coming to this venue from the very moment it opened. I was at the opening as a theatre student," she recalls. "I’ve worked with every artistic director in a different way across my entire career of the Brisbane Powerhouse. So, now to actually be at the helm feels really special and very privileged."

That journey to New Farm is woven through the core of South East Queensland's cultural landscape. Having founded the Gold Coast’s Bleach* Festival—"that was my baby for many years"—and later directing six programs across nearly seven years at Brisbane Festival, stepping into a permanent riverside precinct brought an entirely different scale. "I look at the Brisbane Powerhouse a bit like a 365-day festival," she explains. "It is non-stop—24/7. It’s a huge precinct, and I think that often people don’t really realise all of the things that happen at the Brisbane Powerhouse every day. We run many, many festivals, from Brisbane Comedy Festival to Night Feast, Melt Festival, and then we do lots of performances and exhibitions and programs and artists in residence." She adds: "I’ve learnt a lot about heritage-listed buildings."

The Arts Hustle

Asked whether the broader public understands how an institution of this scale keeps the lights on, Bezzina demystifies the business model without missing a beat.

"Like any arts organisation, the word I would use when you run anything that is a not-for-profit—and we’re also a charity—is hustle," she laughs. "Hustle, hustle, hustle!"

While Brisbane Powerhouse operates as a fully-owned subsidiary of Brisbane City Council, Bezzina points out that keeping the precinct viable demands an aggressive, multifaceted business model—balancing venue hire and dining revenue alongside ticket sales, corporate sponsorship, philanthropy, and government grants.

"Every which way you turn, we’re always on the hustle, which is what the arts is," she says. "And it’s about also finding ways to give visibility and to employ artists at the end of the day."

Bezzina gives an immediate shout-out to the festival team delivering that mission, singling out Melt’s Executive Producer, Emmie Paranthoiene. "They do an outstanding job. They work really hard, they’re very passionate, and I feel very honoured to lead this team."

A River City Celebration

As Melt Festival 2026 enters its final weekend—spanning over 100 events across 70 venues before wrapping this Sunday, 8 November—its civic imprint has been unmistakable. From headline sets by Jude York and Courtney Barnett to Adele Varcoe and Dylan Mooney’s participatory community project Onesie World, the program has pushed queer culture boldly into Brisbane’s shared public spaces.

Reuniting with Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman to float his 15-metre hot-pink Rubber Duck on Maiwar served as a deliberate civic signal. For Bezzina, public art is ultimately about visibility. "It really heralds that something is on," she explains. "And then people are curious and want to know more." That ethos extends indoors, from Circa's world premiere of Show Me Love—commissioned directly by Brisbane Powerhouse—to The Huxleys' exhibition, Bloodlines. "I love The Huxleys," she beams. "I’m very excited that we have their beautiful Bloodlines exhibition here running for the duration of the festival and it is free."

Crucially, Bezzina rejects the notion that Melt belongs only to a niche demographic. She sees the festival—exemplified by the spectacle of the River Pride Parade—as an open civic threshold.

"This festival is for everybody," she emphasises. "It is a celebration of queer arts and culture, but that is an invitation for the broader community to come together and to learn and to listen and to celebrate and to be inclusive." Her parting advice for Brisbane before the final curtain falls is just as direct: "Be curious. Be open-minded. Take a risk. Come and be part of it, and you will absolutely find something that resonates with you."

Melt Festival 2026 concludes Sunday, 8 November at Brisbane Powerhouse and partner venues across the city. Explore the final program at melt.org.au.