News

The future looks rosy for The Pink Flamingo

4 March 2024

Aerial view of Pink Flamingo venue in the day, showing vibrant pink and white buildings and tents.

A striking new venue delivering world-class cabaret performances on the banks of the iconic Brisbane River has audiences tickled pink.

The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland at Northshore Brisbane is designed to grab attention as a brand-new entertainment destination.

The vibrant drawcard has been previewing its program of eye-popping cabaret productions in a series of sneak-peek performances since December 2023.

Billed as the “world’s first Spiegeland”, the 400-seat Pink Flamingo further boosts Northshore Brisbane’s reputation as a creative leader, curating and attracting world-class events, artists and experiences.

STEP THIS WAY

Pink Flamingo Spiegeland Managing Director Peter Snee said the sparkling new venue opened with a clear vision: to deliver world-class entertainment in a world-class venue with world-class hospitality.

“We decided to partner with Northshore because our visions very much seemed to align with what it was Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) was looking to achieve for the precinct in the coming years (and) in the approach to the Olympics,” Mr Snee said.

“EDQ and Northshore have supported Pink Flamingo from the very beginning of the project to where we are now.”

An opulent 711 sqm Spiegel pavilion is the centrepiece of the fully licensed Spiegeland site with bars, food vendors and lounges occupying an assortment of pink-hued recycled shipping containers – a nod to Northshore Brisbane’s maritime heritage.

When the greater Northshore Brisbane precinct is complete, it will support an estimated workforce of 25,000 people with a further 24,500 residents calling it home.

A NIGHT OF MEMORABLE MOMENTS

With Northshore Brisbane sitting at the crest of a new cultural wave, it was important to both EDQ and Pink Flamingo Spiegeland to develop and deliver unforgettable experiences to attract a broad audience.

“When designing the program for Pink Flamingo, it was very important to myself and the other directors that the experiences we create show that we are inclusive to everyone,” Mr Snee said.

Opening to sparkling fanfare and quickly winning new fans, the program includes Pink Flamingo’s signature circus-cabaret show, Suave, with incredible vocals, bright costumes and jaw-dropping acts; Ripped, a male review show which Mr Snee concedes can “get a bit lively”; and La Teaze, a late-night risqué burlesque show.

Bringing each show to life is a talented team of artists, technicians, production staff and hospitality workers.

“There are a huge amount of jobs created for this particular venue which we hope is going to drive the economy here in Brisbane and Northshore,” Mr Snee said.

“On stage, you’ll see a variety of international performers who have crafted their skills overseas in Las Vegas and Europe (and) we have local performers who were born, raised and trained in Brisbane.”

LOCAL TALENT SHINES

One of Suave’s brightest stars is Brisbane’s Taijla Morrow as the hula-hooping Honey Bunny.

Her journey from backstage to centre stage was a short one with the skilled acrobat a former student of Flipside Circus, its Northshore Brisbane’s training centre located only a cartwheel or two away from the Spiegeland.

The two venues are part of a connected community of innovators and arts organisations, already piloting ideas and seeding innovation to shape Northshore Brisbane’s creative vision now and into the future.

“Northshore is an amazing spot because artists need spaces to train, they need spaces to perform and for people to come and watch their performances so they can practice their skills in front of a live audience,” Ms Morrow said.

“Within the Northshore precinct, there are so many arts and cultural opportunities – we have Flipside, we have Eat Street performance opportunities, we have Superordinary so there are heaps of artists here, all in one spot.

“It’s a great community, we get to train together, perform together and create and learn together and now, at Pink Flamingo, we’d love to see everyone party together too!”

Ms Morrow began training at Flipside Circus when she was four years old, using her skills to dazzle passers-by as a busker in Queen Street Mall before turning professional at age 15.

“It’s great here, Pink Flamingo gives me full creative control in being able to express what I want to do,” she said.

“Sometimes I think of things on stage and think, ‘I’m going to try that right now!’ It’s awesome to be able to practice and create in front of an audience.”

THE FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT

While Pink Flamingo Spiegeland is a relative newcomer to Northshore Brisbane, it is already planning how it will help inspire the precinct’s creative legacy to attract even more artistic, cultural and entertainment experiences from across the globe.

Mr Snee said Northshore Brisbane’s location – ideally positioned only 6km from Brisbane’s CBD – and its vision for long-term growth set the scene to shape the future of creative arts, entertainment and leisure in the city.

“As one of the newest neighbours in the precinct, what’s really important to us is getting out and making friends with our neighbours,” he said.

“What’s also important is making sure we’re serving the precinct in the way EDQ want it to be served and contributing to the precinct as a whole.

“We want everyone to have an incredible experience here – then go away and tell all their friends that they should come to a Pink Flamingo show!”

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