Meanjin / Brisbane is the host city for Everything Open 2027.
The Venue
Everything Open 2027 will be held at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Gardens Point campus. The campus sits at the southern edge of the city centre, alongside the City Botanic Gardens and the river, within easy walking distance of public transport.
The conference will be using the Z and S block facilities, as well as the undercroft of Z block. You can find these on the Gardens Point campus map — Z and S block are at the southern edge of the campus, near the river and the Gardens Point ferry terminal.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Turrbal People as the First Nations owners of the lands on which we are meeting, and pay respect to their Elders, past and present. We extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in attendance at this event.
We also draw attention to the fact that QUT Gardens Point and the area near the river are areas of meeting and learning, both now and in the past. It is our hope that the Everything Open 2027 conference contributes to this great and long tradition.
Where to Stay
If you’re looking for options to stay near the QUT campus, here’s some searches we prepared for you. Unfortunately we were only able to get one discounted rate.
| Where | What | URL | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal on the Park hotel, just the other side of the botanical gardens | Five star hotel | royalonthepark.com.au | Promo code GROUP15 (15% discount), only available for website bookings |
| YHA Brisbane, Upper Roma St, Brisbane City | A hostel, with some private rooms | yha.com.au | |
| Bunk, Gipps St, Fortitude Valley | A hostel, with some private rooms | bunkbrisbane.com.au | |
| City Backpackers HQ, Roma St, Brisbane City | A hostel, with some private rooms | citybackpackershq.com | |
| wotif.com | Generic hotel/homes search | Wotif Search | Search with filters, adjust and redo. |
| airbnb.com.au | AirBnB all apartment/house | Airbnb Search | Search with filters, adjust and redo. |
Weather and Climate
Climate data for Brisbane City Centre (Wikipedia)
Brisbane has a humid subtropical climate. January is hot and humid (mean maximum 35°C). Days are usually sunny, with extreme UV levels. Use sunscreen and wear a hat (Slip-Slop-Slap). Drink lots of water.
Thunderstorms are common in the afternoon and early evening, and often severe. Be prepared for wet weather, and do not ignore weather warnings.
Things to See and Do
There are many things to explore in and around Meanjin / Brisbane, South East Queensland, and beyond. We encourage people to bring the family, and explore the region either side of the conference.
The Wikivoyage page for Brisbane is worth a read if you’re unfamiliar with Brisbane. We’ve highlighted some significant events and destinations below.
In Meanjin / Brisbane itself:
- The City Botanic Gardens are located beside QUT Gardens Point.
- The South Bank cultural and recreation precinct is just across the river, great for families and accessible by pedestrian bridge or ferry.
- Fortitude Valley is the main nightlife district and is walking distance or a short bus ride from the city centre.
- Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) just across the river.
- Southwave: free all-ages licensed electronic music events at South Bank. Multiple dates including Saturday January 16th (Aroop Roy) and Saturday January 23rd (The Jungle Giants).
- The Australia Day / Invasion Day public holiday is on Tuesday January 26, shortly after the conference.
Near Brisbane:
- An hour west is Toowoomba, a lovely city with beautiful Botanical Gardens.
- An hour north is the Sunshine Coast, featuring glorious beaches and a lush hinterland with great getaway places, and the spectacular Glass House Mountains.
- An hour south is the Gold Coast, also featuring great beaches including the famous Surfers Paradise, and a World Heritage listed rainforest hinterland.
Around the country:
- Brisbane is connected by air to all major and many regional cities in Australia. About 1.5 hours to Sydney, 2.5 to Melbourne, 3 hours to Hobart, 6 hours to Perth.
- Tropical North Queensland and the world famous Great Barrier Reef are accessible by a flight to Cairns (2.5 hours). Cairns is a 1700km drive up the Bruce Highway (M1), which is a 2-lane single-carriageway road for most of that distance (some sections in poor condition). We do not recommend driving. If you do drive, spread the journey over multiple days.