📍9 Best Places To Watch Brisbane’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks For Epic Viewing & Photography. (2024.)
WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE BEST PLACES TO WATCH THE NEW YEARS EVE FIREWORKS IN BRISBANE?
Ah, there’s no time of year quite like New Year’s Eve. Everybody’s in holiday mode fresh off the back of Christmas and all the running around and get-togethers getting ready for that involves. Now, everybody’s transitioning into relaxation and party mode reminiscing about the year that’s just gone by and welcoming in the New Year with renewed dreams, positivity and motivation that the next 12 months will hopefully bring about.
And if you’re living near or visiting the Queensland capital during this time of year, there is no bigger she-bang to cap off the end of 2024 and kick off 2025 with a big, magical bang than the CBD’s mesmerising NYE fireworks display. Lighting up the River City’s night sky at 7.45 pm for the kiddies and midnight for the rest of us who can stay up that late when the clock strikes midnight, here are the best places to watch the Brisbane New Year Eve Fireworks to celebrate the annual transition!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The NYE fireworks differ slightly from the Riverfire fireworks as they don’t have fireworks going off the Story Bridge.
👉 My top picks for the best places to watch Brisbane’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks:
- Atop the Story Bridge.
- City Reach Boardwalk.
- Wilson’s Lookout.
Planning Your Trip? Use My Favourite Resources!
Tours/Experiences: I recommend Viator.
Accommodation: I recommend Booking.com.
Flights: I recommend Aviasales.
Car Rental: I recommend economybookings.
Best Places To Watch The New Years Eve Fireworks In Brisbane.
1.Story Bridge.
Story Bridge Adventure Climb. – $.
If you want to make New Year an event and kick it off with an absolute bang you will never forget, the unequivocally elite place in Brisbane to watch 2024/2025 fireworks is from the top of the city’s iconic Story Bridge. Hosted by the Story Bridge Adventure Climb, the only company that allows you to summit the landmark structure and Australia’s longest steel cantilever bridge, are two unforgettable guided tours covering both the enthralling 7.45 pm family show and the spectacular midnight feature to say “Adios” to 2024, and “Xing Chao” to 2025 to choose between.
Not only are you getting phenomenal panoramic views from one of the best lookouts in a city full of excellent clifftop and riverside vantage points, but having visited the CBD many times and completed a Twilight Climb for a recent birthday, I can tell you that no other place that captures the essence of Queensland capital’s enviable riverside lifestyle as epically as this city’s quintessential bucket-list experience.
So to do so on a night like New Year’s Eve when the night sky will be exploding with a magical fireworks extravaganza afront a backdrop of towering skyscrapers and twinkling lights will be every bit as impressive and spectacular as it sounds leaving a lasting impression of this spectacular River City, especially if it’s your first time visiting.
- View: Two firework barges, one on each side of the bridge. Panoramic of the Eagle Street Pier skyscrapers, Brisbane River, Howard Smith Wharves, New Farm and Kangaroo Point.
- Across the length of the Story Bridge.
- Best For: A memorable and adventurous way to ring in the new year.
- A carefree night.
- Enjoying the best views in Brisbane from a nationally significant historical landmark.
- Avoiding the crowds/ not having to stand around in them holding the best spot.
- Easiness to get to with public transport.
- Bad For: The hip pocket.
- Photography.
2. The Wheel Of Brisbane. – $.
South Bank Parklands.
An even more relaxing and exclusive way to enjoy the evening away from the crowds in the CBD is by booking an air-conditioned gondola on the Wheel Of Brisbane.
This landmark feature of the city’s famous South Bank Parklands precinct, this unmissable Ferris Wheel on the banks of the Brisbane River is a lovely way to enjoy an relaxing evening with your family, friends or significant other in an intimate setting as you watch the 4 barges lined up on this side of the river turn the night sky into a dazzling display of gorgeously curated explosions to celebrate the changing of the calendar year.
- View: Skyscrapers, bridges & South Bank.
- Best For: An intimate experience away from the crowds.
- Rotational and elevated view.
- Quiet and romantic.
- Easiness to get to.
- Bad For: The hip pocket.
- Photography.
3. Clem Jones Promenade.
South Bank Parklands.
One of the most atmospheric outdoor venues in the River City to watch the dazzling fireworks displays at 7.45 pm and midnight is unequivocally at the capital’s famous South Bank Parklands.
This gorgeous sprawling riverfront precinct has no shortage of excellent real estate to sit down and set up the camera to capture the magic with many thanks to the fully constructed pathways Clem Jones Promenade lining 1km length between the Victoria Bridge and the Queensland Maritime Museum. But I recommend getting there early to grab the best-uninterrupted spots because as the central hub for the event and designated family-friendly, BYO alcohol-free zone, this place gets more packed by the hour.
However, if you’re worried about getting bored waiting for the show to kick off, fear not. The parklands always have plenty to see and discover with the best unequivocally being swimming at its iconic resort-style lagoons, riding on the Wheel Of Brisbane, walking underneath the vine-lined arbour or inside an intricately ornate Nepalese Peace Pagoda, which are just some of the mainstays to see along with several event-only attractions.
Plus, there are numerous restaurants and food vans for when you inevitably get the munchies and a specially curated soundtrack to amp you up and count you down until the whole she-bang!
- View: Skyscrapers and bridges.
- Best For: The full immersive magical experience.
- Variance of photos thanks to numerous fireworks barges along the river.
- Ease of access.
- Safety.
- Bad For: Noise sensitivity.
- Little more challenging to take photos due to the unpredictability of where the fireworks will be shot.
- The audio sound system speakers are in the way if you’re not right by the river.
4. City Reach Boardwalk.
If you’re looking to create a dynamic snapshot of Brisbane’s enviable riverine lifestyle along with capturing the fireworks displays, there’s no better place to go than the City Reach Boardwalk. Running along the river in front of the famous Eagle Street Pier dining precinct between the Howard Smith Wharves and the City Botanic Gardens, this stretch of riverfront is renowned for its breathtaking views of the architecturally striking Story Bridge. The northern half is great for being super close to the action and appreciating the entire undistorted expanse of Australia’s longest cantilever bridge and obtaining perfect symmetry in your photography.
However, the southern half of the walkway is a particular favourite of mine as I love that I can incorporate other quintessential elements of the capital’s bustling landscape, such as the Brisbane River, and all the boats and ferries that make it the lifeblood of the city, the towering skyscrapers of the inner city and their thousands of delightfully illuminated windows into a shot with the striking twin peaks of the landmark bridge while the barges get off a dazzling curated pyrotechnic show from barges either side of it cumulating in some of my most visually engaging city pictures.
- View: The Story Bridge with a backdrop of skyscrapers and the Brisbane River.
- Best For: Close-up viewing and photography of the fireworks and being close to the action. Easy to reach via public transport with only a little walking if coming by City Cat or City Hopper.
- Bad For: Noise sensitivity. Capturing entire fireworks and scenery with a standard lens.
5. Wilsons Lookout.
Another outstanding place to see Brisbane’s breathtaking Story Bridge for the NYE fireworks shows is from the city’s best clifftop lookout: Wilson’s Outlook. Located directly east of the capital’s captivating iconic, its similar elevation offers the best true perspective of the unmissable steel cantilever bridge with the least horizontal and vertical compaction and distortion in camera.
Plus, along with being where you can view the structure at its most proportional, perpendicular and symmetrical, the view has also got the beautiful Howard Smith Wharves in the foreground and the breathtaking inner city skyscrapers in the background, creating a dynamic layered shot for shooting the fireworks exploding off the barges on either side of the bridge.
Note: If you interested in photographing from here, you’ll need to arrive early as it’s a favourite shooting location and the best spots fill out fast, especially on firework event days such as NY and Riverfire. Plus, it’s only a relatively small area.
- View: Perpendicular views of the Story Bridge with a backdrop of skyscrapers and the Brisbane River.
- Best For: Close-up viewing and photography of the firework’s dynamic linear shots of the Story Bridge and skyline and being close to the action. Easy to reach via public transport with only a little walking, especially if coming by City Cat or City Hopper.
- Bad For: Noise sensitivity. Getting there late.
6. Howard Smith Wharves.
For an elevated spot even closer to the bridge and the fireworks, the cliffs behind the iconic Howard Smith Wharves and just around the corner from Wilson’s Outlook are a great spot to be right in on the action and get a captivating viewing experience. Plus, it puts you on road level with the overpass making it an excellent spot to get close-up photos of the steel beams that make up the landmark structure, with fireworks exploding on either side of it, meaning you can backlight the bridge or capture them by themselves.
- View: The Story Bridge with a backdrop of skyscrapers and the Brisbane River.
- Best For: Close-up viewing and photography of the fireworks and being close to the action. Easy to reach via public transport with little walking involved, especially if coming by City Cat or City Hopper.
- Bad For: Noise sensitivity.
7. Captain Burke Park.
Offering another exceptional spot to watch Brisbane’s New Year’s Eve fireworks up close is Captain Burke Park. Located opposite the Howard Smith Wharves under the Story Bridge’s southern side, this location offers front-row seats to the two firework barges going off either side of the steel cantilever bridge.
But, if you’re looking for fireworks and a backdrop, the western side has the gorgeous skyscrapers of the CBD to fill out the rest of the frame, while the eastern side is great for singling out the fireworks to capture these mesmerising gunpowder explosions by themselves.
- View: Skyscrapers and the Brisbane River.
- Best For: Close-up viewing and photography of the fireworks and being close to the action. Easy to reach via public transport and there’s little walking.
- Bad For: Noise sensitivity. Capturing entire fireworks and scenery with a standard lens.
8. Kangaroo Point Cliffs.
A little further away from the noise, action and atmosphere lies the stunning Kangaroo Point Cliffs, which sits on the western side of the narrow peninsula leading up to the Story Bridge. Its long clifftop and cliff base pathways provide plenty of choices to get sweeping panoramic views of Brisbane’s beautiful skyline and river while magical fireworks erupt across the night sky.
The most visually impressive and photographic sight is to the northeast, where the thousands of windows from the towering skyscrapers create the perfect frame-filling backdrop for the explosive pyrotechnic display, while the boats and water create a sense of movement and stillness in long-shutter shots.
Meanwhile, east offers a gorgeous row of fireworks as the distance makes it seem like 4 barges located in front of the South Bank Parklands are all right next to each other, with the City Botanical Gardens and the southernmost buildings of the CBD, creating a lovely silhouette to let the colourful pyrotechnic sky show shine.
- View: Skyscrapers and rivers.
- Best For: Distant viewing & urban landscape photography.
- Bad For: Seeing them close up. The southern end feels a bit far away from the magic. Far away from the easiest modes of transport. Road closures on the Story Bridge. Hard to find parking.
Distance Vantage Points.
9. Mt Cootha Lookout.
On a hilltop to its southwest, Mt Cootha is, unequivocally Brisbane’s most beloved outer city lookout where visitors can appreciate the scope and beauty of Queensland’s spectacular capital.
The expansive, uninterrupted panoramic view covers a huge area, from the unmissable skyrises that create the bulk of this vantage point’s most striking visual impact to the vast area of urban sprawl and development that lies south of it making it a great spot for photographing establishing shots of Brisbane, especially at sunrise and twilight, and during dazzling fireworks displays such as the NYE’s fireworks to ring in the new year and during Brisbane Riverfire, an epic celebration of the city’s enviable riverine lifestyle.
Note: Go early as the parking lot is only small and it’s a very popular place. And that’s just on a regular day.
- View: The city from a distance with the fireworks in between.
- Best For: Very distant photography. Zoom lens advised. Noise Sensitivity.
- Bad For: Atmospheric value. Parking.
Best Places To Watch The Fireworks Map.
NOTE: Road And Bridge Closures.
Several bridges in the inner city will be completely closed for a few hours to vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic leading up to the event and for a while after, along with numerous other roads and streets across the city.
Best Hotels.
5 Star Luxury:
- The Star Grand Brisbane.
- Emporium Hotel South Bank.
- Best Rooms.
- Premium River City Suite.
- Poolside Cabana Suite.
- Exquisite Suite.
- Emporium Suite.
- Frangipani Suite.
- Best Rooms.
- W Brisbane.
- Crystalbrook Vincent.
- Spicers Balfour Hotel.
- Meriton Suites Herschel Street.
- Meriton Suites Adelaide Street.
- Stamford Plaza Brisbane. – Views Of Story Bridge.
- Hyatt Regency Brisbane.
4 Star:
- Lux 35th Floor.
- Adina Apartments South Brisbane.
- Courtyard by Marriott Brisbane South Bank.
- Oaks Brisbane on Charlotte Suites.
- Brisbane Skytower by CLLIX.
- Oaks Brisbane Aurora Suites.
- Hope Street Apartments by CLLIX.
- Hillcrest Apartment Hotel.
River Tours.
It’s not just on land from the riverwalks and lookouts and from cushy, luxury skyscraper hotels that you can enjoy the magic of Brisbane Riverfire. There are also many river cruises available to marvel at the fireworks lighting up the River City’s night sky from the water.