Screen Queensland’s Hemmant studios will host a more polished version of the Big Brother house in 2026, replacing the show’s Gold Coast setting at Dreamworld with a purpose-built Brisbane property. The move changes more than the address: the new house pairs resort-style amenities with the close quarters that keep the format’s social dynamics in play. For a production built around observation and interaction, the building itself is part of the premise.
The house sits within Screen Queensland Studios, a 3.6ha production facility. That setting gives the production dedicated infrastructure and a more controlled environment, while the interior design aims for a comfortable, distinctly Brisbane feel. More than 80 cameras will record contestants across the house. A more polished finish may soften the visual tone, but it won’t change the basic bargain: housemates share space while the audience watches.
A more residential feel, with a few surprises
Designer and art director Kimberley Connor says the brief called for a more elevated and welcoming interior. The rooms mix soft pastels, darker shades, strong patterns and oversized furniture, with each space meant to feel different from the last. That variety can help a large set read as a collection of distinct rooms, even when contestants move between them under constant observation.
There’s a formal lounge and dining room, alongside a tucked-away central nook intended to offer a quieter break from communal areas. Connor likened it to a small restaurant within the house, an image that suggests a more intimate setting than the main shared rooms. The original design brief also called for “gossip nooks” and “mad tuna storage”; the pantry is set to accommodate the latter. The phrasing is playful, but the underlying design task is practical: create places where everyday routines and private conversations can become part of the show.
Practical spaces include a shop, two task rooms and a separate dressing room. Contestants will share one large bedroom, while frosted shower screens offer only limited privacy. That arrangement keeps the house’s communal character firmly intact, even as its finishes become more luxe. The contrast is deliberate: a softer visual experience, paired with living conditions that leave little room to withdraw.
Pool, sauna and the familiar diary room
Outside, a garden spa area includes a swimming pool and sauna, with space for exercise, yoga and downtime. Those amenities give the house a resort-like edge and may make the setting feel less institutional on screen. But leisure facilities don’t remove the central pressure of the format: contestants still have to live together, manage friction and decide what to share in front of the cameras.
The diary room chair also returns, giving housemates a private place to air frustrations and discuss their plans. It’s a familiar feature with a clear role in the programme’s structure: it offers a change of setting and a direct channel for contestants to explain their thinking. The room may feel private to the person sitting in it, but its conversations remain part of the show.
Why the Brisbane move matters
The Brisbane move follows a difficult 2025 season at Dreamworld, where theme park visitors were reportedly able to communicate with contestants and wet weather disrupted live broadcasts. Hemmant offers a more controlled production setting, a notable shift for a format that depends on keeping the house separate from the outside world. The change addresses a basic production concern: events outside the set can interfere with the experience the programme is trying to create.
This is more significant than it looks. A purpose-built studio can give production greater control over the working environment, while the design can still present the house as a place contestants might plausibly inhabit. That said, a new address doesn’t guarantee that every disruption disappears; the source describes the advantages of the Hemmant setting, not how the production will handle every possible problem. The real test will be whether the new environment supports the show’s format without making its carefully staged domestic life feel too polished.
If you’re working in this space, the house is a reminder that residential design on screen has two audiences: the people occupying the rooms and the viewers reading their behaviour through them. And this is the part most people overlook: communal layouts aren’t just a backdrop. They shape where contestants gather, where they can step away, and how much privacy the programme allows them.
A fresh start with familiar mechanics
Returning host Mel Tracina has described the new setting as a fresh start, while promising the familiar scheming from Big Brother. Mike Goldman, the series’ original host, will narrate the 2026 season, which returns to 10 on Monday, 26 October, at 7.30pm. The hosting and narration connect the new production to the show’s established identity, even as the house moves from a Gold Coast theme park to a Brisbane studio.
Here’s the thing: the new house is being sold through comfort and visual variety, but the format still depends on shared space, surveillance and social tension. Contestants get a pool, a sauna and a more considered interior. They also get one large bedroom and limited privacy. A more welcoming house, with the same pressures at its centre.