At the Hawthorne ferry stop about 7.20am, CityCat worker Sam called out to a colleague on a ferry going in the opposite direction.
asserted
Sam → call → direction
“Get ready,” he said.
asserted
he → get → ?
“You’re going to see something.”
asserted
You → go → something
Sure enough, ferry commuters rounding the bend to New Farm on Wednesday morning got a surprise – a bright pink, floating, 15-metre high surprise.
asserted
commuters → round → surprise
“I live in New Farm, so I got up early and I was like, I need to see it first thing,” Rodriguez said.
asserted
Rodriguez → live → it
“This is very famous, I have seen the pictures.
asserted
I → see → pictures
When I saw he was going to be in Brisbane I said, ‘What time? What time?’
asserted
I → see → Brisbane
”
The giant rubber duck was inflated overnight and heralds the opening of Brisbane’s annual queer culture festival, MELT, for 2026.
Running until November 8, the festival will feature 100 events across 70 venues including art, theatre, concerts, parties and river celebrations.
asserted
festival → inflate → art
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman told this masthead that while his yellow rubber duck sculpture had been inflated in many locations around the world, the pink version was making its debut in Brisbane.
asserted
version → tell → Brisbane
“It’s about respect and tolerance.
asserted
It → ’ → respect
When we already accept a yellow rubber duck of 15 metres tall in the harbour, why wouldn’t we accept a pink rubber duck?”
asserted
we → accept → duck
Hofman’s first rubber duck was a mammoth 32 metres tall and appeared in the port of Saint-Nazaire, France in 2007.
asserted
duck → appear → 2007
At the time an astonished onlooker who stopped to take photographs forgot to put her handbrake on and ended up with her car in the harbour.
asserted
who → stop → harbour
The artist has since invaded public spaces the world over with giant pandas, poodles, foxes, pinatas and bunnies.
asserted
artist → invade → pandas
Hofman said his art stemmed from being “a big child”.
asserted
art → say → ?
“We tend to forget we are still that inner child, because society makes us go mad and behave like adults.
asserted
us → tend → adults
“So I think it’s a really nice reaction to make these enlarged, playful and joyful kind of works.
asserted
kind → think → ?
I love to throw toys around the world.”
asserted
I → love → world
“We’re getting bigger and bigger, to be honest,” he said.
asserted
he → get → ?
The duck will remain at the Brisbane Powerhouse until Saturday, when it will float up the river to join the River Pride Parade, before returning to Brisbane Powerhouse for the remainder of the festival.
asserted
it → remain → festival
Melt Festival 2026 – 10 highlights
River Pride Parade
LGBTQIA+ communities and allies will cruise the Brisbane River from West End to Brisbane Powerhouse on boats, tinnies and jet skis.
asserted
communities → cruise → boats
Viewing locations are at South Bank, Queen’s Wharf and Howard Smith Wharves.
asserted
locations → view → Bank
Vollie LaVont hosts a tribute to the late Dolly Parton with DJs spinning Dolly favourites, drag performances, and a lesson from Gilly’s Line Dancing.
asserted
DJs → host → Dancing
An Evening without Kate Bush
Cabaret star Sarah-Louise Young brings her quirky Kate Bush show back to town, performing hits and deep cuts from the adored but reclusive UK legend.
asserted
Young → bring → legend
The inaugural pageant for Blak drag kings (yes, girls playing boys) introduces to the stage such exemplars of masculinity as Terri Nulius, Paddy Swineheart and Benny Hangslow.
asserted
pageant → play → Nulius
Flamboyant artists the Huxleys memorialise artists lost to HIV/AIDS through photography, video, costume and performance in this free exhibition.
asserted
artists → memorialise → exhibition
Barnett is on her first tour in four years, playing songs from new album Creature of Habit, plus all the hits.
asserted
Barnett → play → Habit
Show Me Love by Circa
Brisbane’s internationally admired contemporary circus company presents a new show inspired by underground clubs and dance floors.
asserted
Show → show → clubs
Performer Cassie Workman enacts a conversation with her idol Kurt Cobain in a biographical fantasy set in 1990s Washington State.
asserted
Workman → enact → State
The artist formerly known as Sporty Spice showcases songs from her solo career including tracks from latest album Sweat.
asserted
artist → know → album
The Māori soul singer appears in concert following the release of single My Boy, challenging ideas about queerness and masculinity.
asserted
singer → appear → queerness
Melt Festival runs from October 21 to November 8, 2026.
asserted
Festival → run → November
The Aporia
