📍Brisbane Riverfire: Everything You Need To Know About The Epic Firework Show. (2024.)

WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT BRISBANE RIVERFIRE?

Nothing quite showcases Brisbane’s status as Australia’s premier River City more than Riverfire. This epic, half-day extravaganza is the Queensland capital’s most spectacular event, revving up crowds of over half a million with exhilarating ADF military fly-bys, such as thunderous supersonic jets flying across the skies at sunset before the night comes alive with a magical, 25-minute firework displays lighting up the river from barges, bridges and rooftops around the CBD, most breathtaking including the city’s most famous landmark, the Story Bridge.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor to this unforgettable event or a regular attendee, here’s everything you need to know about this incredible event, from when it’s on, its itinerary, my recommendations for where to watch and what to bring to photograph it, how to get there, public transport, road closures & more and how to make the most of this magnificent free event that kicks off the 23 days of festivities celebrating art, culture and music for Brisbane Festival.

One of the things that makes the Queensland Capital an enviable riverside city is that there are miles and miles of pathways lining the banks of the Brisbane River, plus several clifftop views along some areas, providing many fantastic uninterrupted vantage points for Riverfire’s epic showcase of fireworks and flybys. Here is a brief rundown of the best places to watch the unforgettable show, but for the detailed list, click here.

Views Of The Story Bridge.

• City Reach Boardwalk. (Eagle St Pier.) – My favourite!
• Wilsons Outlook.*
• Captain Burke Park.*
• Howard Smith Wharves.
• The southern end of the New Farm Riverwalk. (The walk itself is closed during the fireworks.

Between Victoria Bridge & Kangaroo Point.

• South Bank.* – Fenced, family friendly & alcohol-free.
  • Clem Jones Promenade.
  • Wheel Of Brisbane. – $.
• Bicentennial Bikeway.
• Kangaroo Point Cliffs & River Terrace.*

Distant Views.

• Mt Cootha Lookout.

All these places are also great for seeing the exhilarating ADF flybys.

Note: The Star’s new free Skydeck will not be open during the Riverfire Fireworks.

*Places with audio systems so you can hear the playlist to get into the party atmosphere. Alternatively, you can tune your radio in to Triple M – 104.5.

Spending the night and want to stay away from the crowds. One of the best ways to watch the spectacular Riverfire show is from the quiet and comfort of a towering skyscraper hotel, particularly if their rooms have a balcony or some other level that offers uninterrupted views of the magical event. Listed below are some of the highest-rated hotels, which offer premium, elevated views of Brisbane’s best outdoor show.

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.
  • They also have ticketed events for the show which they post here.
• W Brisbane.
• Crystalbrook Vincent.
• Spicers Balfour Hotel.
  • Riverfire 2024 at The Balfour Kitchen & Bar Event.
• 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.

Another phenomenal way to experience this magical show from the water with a dedicated boat cruise allowing for the most transcendent and unforgettable night.

The fireworks and military flybys are fantastic opportunities for both long shutter photography to blur the motion of the pyrotechnic illumination and high speed tracking to clearly capture the planes as they fly past at break-neck speeds!

Fireworks.

• Camera with manual mode and delay timer or bulb capabilities and manual focus.
• Compatible remote shutter.
• Sturdy tripod on a stable surface.
• Lens cleaner. (Just in case.)

ADF Fly-Bys.

• A camera has a super fast shutter and zoom lens.

With such a big outdoor event taking place across the inner city, I highly recommend using Brisbane’s excellent public transport system to get into the city and navigate your way to your final viewing spot.

Public Transport. – Trains, Ferries & Buses.

Trains are fantastic for getting into the CBD. Meanwhile, the City Cats, Cross River Ferry and the always free City Cat are phenomenal for travelling from riverbank to riverbank, especially since most of the free spectator spots are right along the banks or a short distance from it. Buses are also available to help you get around and all three have extra services to accommodate all the revellers.

You can use all of these with a Translink Go Card. Best of all, since August 2024, all fares are only 50c for the next 6 months making everything extra affordable. Plus, in tradition with other major events in the city, there are free trains and buses after the show from selected locations until 9.30 pm. Double win!

For more information about what to expect from the public transport network for Brisbane Riverfire, click here.

Driving In.

If you were thinking about driving in, I wouldn’t recommend it. Thanks to the River City’s fantastic public transport system, particularly in the inner city, getting from A to B is easy. Driving in the inner city is already hard enough, and then doing so on the biggest day of the year when over half a million people will be attending and numerous road closures will be in place, makes things even more challenging and hectic, especially if you’re not just dropping someone off.

However, if you’re still keen on making the commute, give this website a go for finding a parking lot as the chances of finding a spot here will be much better than on the street which will be nigh on impossible.

Public toilets are hard to find in Brisbane and sometimes restaurants, particularly the high-end ones, won’t just let you come inside for a few minutes to relieve yourself, which is rough if you really NEED to go. While some places like South Bank have plenty as it’s the city’s most visited outdoor attraction and there are usually extra portaloos to accommodate the influx of people attending the event, plus it’s the dedicated family-friendly fenced-off, alcohol-free zone, toilets here are the easiest to find.

However, for many of the other viewpoints, they’re not so easy to locate, so I recommend downloading the National Public Toilet Map in case you need to go. It doesn’t have all of them listed, but it’s helpful to have if you can’t find your way to one, remember someone’s directions or find a restaurant to pop into.

Brisbane Riverfire is an incredible, free, inner-city-wide outdoor event. With so many places and ways to see the spectacular fireworks and ADF military fly-bys, it’s one of the best times to visit the Queensland capital and appreciate its enviable riverside lifestyle.

If you plan to visit Brisbane, consider looking at these other posts.