Historian and author Robert Allen, a researcher who has worked with the State Library of Queensland and spent years documenting Brisbane’s cultural and social history, will lead four walking tours throughout the day. Drawing on his deep knowledge of the Valley’s music past — from legendary spaces like The Zoo and the infamous Whisky‑a‑Go‑Go to the independent venues shaping Brisbane today — Robert brings the kind of insight, accuracy, and local storytelling that only a dedicated historian can offer. Book your tickets for the Fortitude Valley Music History Tour here.
California Lane CD & Record Fair — Fortitude Valley
Our May 16 CD & Record Fair at California Lane was a great success. Thank you to everyone who came along. We’ll be announcing our next 2026 event shortly.
📍 Location: 22 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley
🕤 Time: 9:30am to 3:30pm
📅 Date: Saturday, 16 May 2026
🎟️ Entry: Free
What’s On at Our Next California Lane CD and Record Fair
A community‑built, DIY music event honoring Brisbane’s cultural history and the independent spirit of the Valley.
4ZZZ Merch Pop‑Up
Australia’s longest‑running independent radio station 4ZZZ has called Fortitude Valley home since 1992, and in their 50‑year history they’ve created more than 150 different T‑shirt designs — each one a little snapshot of Brisbane’s music culture. This market, they’re joining us in California Lane for the first time. Their staff, volunteers, and iconic banana mascots will bring a wide range of Zed merch, including tote bags, T‑shirts, bottle openers, stickers, and more.
Vinyl DJ Sets
A lineup of guest DJs will be announced soon. Expect vinyl‑only sets, curated by people who genuinely love the craft of collecting, playing, and sharing music.
Fortitude Valley Music History Tours
John Willsteed, an expert on Brisbane music, will give a special guest talk. He played bass with the The Go-Betweens during the 16 Lovers Lane era. He has also worked with Ed Kuepper and The Apartments, and continues to play in Halfway. Outside music, he is an award-winning film and TV sound designer. He also teaches at Queensland University of Technology, where he studies Brisbane’s punk and post-punk history.
Record & CD Market
Browse thousands of vinyl records, CDs, cassette tapes, and rare formats from a carefully curated community of vendors who are helping drive Brisbane’s contemporary vinyl and CD revival.
- Sacred Crates
- Beat Market
- Disc Space
- More to be announced
From Glitter Records
“This market grew from conversations with Arthur and Erene Apostolos in California Lane and our shared desire to bring people together through music. Glitter Records has been part of the Fortitude Valley community for four years, and I’m passionate about building deeper local connections. Brisbane has a unique music culture — this event is about shining a light on what makes it unique.” — Riley, Founder of Glitter Records
Supported By:
- 4ZZZ Community Radio — Brisbane’s independent music and community station
- No.7 Print House — a Brisbane screen‑printing studio specialising in bespoke prints for record covers, posters, cassette tapes, apparel, and creative projects
- The IMA — The Institute of Modern Art (IMA) is Australia’s oldest independent public art gallery, championing contemporary artists and ideas through free exhibitions, events, and community‑focused programs
- The Lanes Fortitude Valley — the vibrant laneway precinct that brings together food, culture, music, and community events
📰Our November 2025 Fair Was Featured On
Record Store Day Australia Events Page – Thanks to the Record Store Australia team, our California Lane Record & CD Market has been featured on the official Record Store Day Australia website. We’re grateful for the support and proud to be included among other music-loving events.
Our fair has also featured in the November 25 2025 issue of The Village Voice (Brisbane), New Farm Peninsula edition — in a special article titled: “Come Celebrate 100 Years, 100 Stories in The Valley.”
Scenestr Magazine – November 7, 2025 – we were featured in “Building Fortitude Valley’s Legacy: 100 Years, 100 Stories,” a heartfelt piece by Matt Innes that explores the Valley’s rich musical heritage, the centennial of its iconic buildings, and the vibrant energy of the community day we’re proud to be part of.
The Weekend Edition – November 11 – our first fair was mentioned in “A Century of History Will Be Celebrated with a Full-Day Party in California Lane.” The article highlights the larger centennial celebration of Carroll’s Corner and the Rollinson Buildings.
Cosmic Magazine published a dedicated news feature titled “Glitter Records Launches a New Brisbane Record Fair in California Lane,” spotlighting the launch of the new CD & Record Market in Fortitude Valley.
Culture blog The Glitter & Gold ran a news piece announcing the first fair, highlighting it as a celebration of music’s physical beauty and the joy of community events.
Mentioned on ABC Radio Brisbane — Mornings (November 21, 2025): Riley, owner of Glitter Records, spoke with presenter Kelly Higgins-Devine about the fair and the 100 Years, 100 Stories centennial celebration.
📰Our May 2026 Fair Was Featured On
Featured in The Village Voice – April 2026: Our fair was also highlighted in the April 2026 issue of The Village Voice (Brisbane) in an article titled “Turn It Up! For Music Heritage,” which noted the involvement of 4ZZZ and Glitter Records, and explored Fortitude Valley’s unique contribution to Australian punk, protest, gay, grunge, and indie music — and the cultural legacy that continues to shape the area today.
In April 2026, The Glitter & Gold published a news feature announcing the second California Lane CD & Record Fair, highlighting its expanded cultural program for 2026. The article covers the event’s retro‑inspired poster by No.7 Print House, 4ZZZ’s first‑ever merch‑archive pop‑up, vinyl‑only DJ sets led by Judy Jetson, and new music‑history walking tours with historian Robert Allen. It also spotlights a special guest talk by John Willsteed of The Go‑Betweens, exploring Brisbane’s punk and post‑punk legacy.
Our record fair was also reported in a digital news article by Scenester on April 16, 2026,, with a follow‑up feature in the May print edition.
The Village Voice reported on the market in its May 2026 New Farm Peninsula edition.
On May 15, our CD and Record Fair was featured on ABC Radio Brisbane – 612 ABC Mornings with Steve Austin. During the segment, John Wilsteed described playing music in Fortitude Valley in the 1970s and 1980s. He noted Fortitude Valley as an important place for music and a space where people can be “as creative as possible.” Glitter Records was also mentioned, along with California Lane and Robert Allen’s history tours.
On Saturday, May 16, the California Lane CD & Record Fair and Fortitude Valley music history tours were featured on 612 ABC Brisbane during Sally Rope’s “Sound Foundations” segment. The program took listeners on a virtual walking tour through Fortitude Valley’s musical history with John Willsteed, Robert Allen and 4ZZZ, while also exploring the story and cultural significance of California Lane with Arthur Apostolos.
Our event was photographed and reviewed in Scenestr magazine, who described it as “a gathering of Brisbane music lifers, collectors, punters and curious wanderers,” and “Brisbane music and art culture actively showing up for itself.” The review noted the event’s informal atmosphere, the continued interest in physical media across generations, and the significance of the Valley’s music history as a setting. It also highlighted that the fair brings together people who still believe music should be held, discussed and experienced together.