Brisbane Festival ignites the city with Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust – a dazzling night of fireworks, music and colour. From 5pm the entertainment begins, building to the unmissable fireworks spectacular at 7pm, courtesy of Foti Fireworks. Bright Nights by ANZ will also light up the river with shows at 6pm, 7:30pm and 8:30pm.
See below information about the event, including getting to South Bank, road closures, event safety and prohibited items.
Due to extensive road closures, public transport is the best way to travel to South Bank for the event.
Nearby public transport stations include:
- South Bank and South Brisbane train stations
- Mater Hill, South Bank and Cultural Centre bus/metro stations
- South Bank CityCat ferry terminal
Use Translink’s Journey Planner to plan ahead. Additional services will operate throughout Riverfire to help you get there and home safely.
The South Bank Car Park will be open during Riverfire for pre-booked parking only. From 6pm, South Bank Car Park will be exit only. No entry will be permitted after this time.
To guarantee your spot, pre-book your parking before 6pm Friday 4 September. The booking system will be paused on event day, and drive-ins cannot be accommodated.
Information about parking rates and how to pre-book parking is available here.
Please note: Extensive road closures in and around the South Bank area may cause delays and changes in how you access the car park.
Road and bridge closures will be in place in and around the South Bank precinct, South Brisbane and Brisbane City. Please refer to the Brisbane Festival website for the full list of road and bridge closures.
Police, traffic controllers and signage will be in place to assist motorists, buses, pedestrians and riders. Diversion routes will be in place, with all detours and diversions clearly signed on the day. For traffic information visit www.QLDtraffic.qld.gov.au or call 13 19 40.
The perimeter of the South Bank precinct will be gated, with 11 entry points. Bag checks will be conducted at entry points to ensure prohibited items are not brought into the event.
Bag checks will be conducted at entry points to ensure prohibited items are not brought into the event. To maintain public safety, the following items are not allowed:
- Firearms and edged weapons
- Water in unsealed bottles (Empty water bottles are permitted and can be filled within the event)
- Alcohol and other liquids and glass or metal cans
- Controlled, prohibited, dangerous or illegal substances
- Hazardous or flammable substances, including aerosols
- Marquees, tents or shade structures
- Animals (except accredited assistance dogs)
- Helium balloons, laser pointers and confetti canons
- Large poles, banner stands or flags
- Drones or remote-controlled devices (to report an unauthorised drone in the area,please submit an incident report to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority here)
- Boogie boards or similar large recreational equipment
- Recreational bikes, scooters or rideables
- Any item or object deemed to compromise public safety, disrupt operations or harmthe reputation or enjoyment of the event
A full list of prohibited items will be published soon.
By entering this major event, you consent to:
- Random handheld metal detector inspections
- Bag inspections
- No unaccompanied minors
Please note: To maintain a safe environment for this event, our security teams may intervene when unaccompanied minors (persons under 18) are identified as unsafe, at risk or causing disruption. Interventions may include conducting welfare checks, engaging with police, or removal or exclusion from the event and precinct.
South Bank Conditions of Entry apply to this event.
To maintain event safety, Streets Beach, the Boat Pool and Aquativity will be closed from 3:30pm Saturday 5 September and will reopen at 7am Sunday 6 September.
This temporary closure will support safe crowd management during Riverfire celebrations. All pools are subject to closures at any time at the discretion of Surf Life Saving Queensland and South Bank Corporation.
For event enquiries, please contact Brisbane Festival on (07) 3833 5400 or at brisbanefestival@brisbanefestival.com.au
For issues requiring immediate action during the event, please call South Bank 24/7 Security on (07) 3867 2045.