Riverfire’s changed over the years. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s event

When Charlie Cush was a struggling student of about 18, he watched Riverfire from the top of a hill at Teneriffe, sharing a picnic blanket “and a box of Jatz” with friends.

“I would have gone prior to that, as a kid, but my early memories were being a theatre student, poor, with mates sitting on a hilltop,” says Cush, now the chief executive of Brisbane Festival.

This year, the fireworks show will be held on the first weekend of Brisbane Festival.

Back then, the friends celebrated the occasion with cheap wine and crackers.

“It was back when [we] were living in dodgy share houses in New Farm. When you go to Teneriffe now it’s posh — we were living in a cheap share house.”

Brisbane Festival chief executive officer Charlie Cush.

Cush’s night looks different now, too: he will likely spend Riverfire among politicians, sponsors and VIPs at a venue like Blackbird, counting down until the fireworks hit the sky to finally breathe easy.

This year’s fireworks extravaganza will shimmer to a soundtrack curated by Brisbane music royalty Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall.

The 2023 program also includes a drone show — Nieergoo: Spirit of the Whale — created in collaboration with traditional owners.

“We want to bring new things to light the city up in a way that speaks deeply to this place and for our audiences,” Cush says.

“This gave us an opportunity to tell the First Nations story, to work with our partners and to give a really beautiful, free gift to Brisbane.”

What hasn’t changed is the event’s broad appeal.

“I’m super proud of the fact that we do free accessible programming that’s great for students and share houses, it’s great for mums, dads and kids and everyone in between,” Cush says.

About 400,000 spectators are expected to turn out at vantage points across South Bank, Kangaroo Point and Brisbane City, with many more tuning in to a live broadcast on Channel Nine.

Cush says Riverfire is part of the fabric of the city, much like New Year’s Eve and State of Origin events.

“There’s nothing like that afternoon when you’re walking to the spot that you’re going to settle in for Riverfire,” he says.

“There’s something in the air and you can feel it. I love it.”

Brisbane Festival will be from September 1 to 23. Opening night on Friday will feature a smoking ceremony titled Jarrah, to pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, before the fireworks and drone show on Saturday.

The opening weekend will also see shows such as Salamander, The Party and There’s Something about Music playing. There’s also a free art exhibit, Hiromi Hotel: YU KA, and suburban mini-concerts as part of the Brisbane Serenades program.

“We love putting some of the world’s best artists on stages of Brisbane because Brisbane is a capital city worthy of the best art in the world,” Cush says.

“It’s really about celebrating the city through arts and culture and a whole range of different things.”

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