NYE Brisbane fireworks: party goers arrive early to snag best riverside spots
Tens of thousands of revellers have converge on Brisbane’s CBD for the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks, some arriving as early as 7.45am to snag a spot.
Brisbane City
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More than 150,000 revellers are tipped to converge on vantage points across the Brisbane CBD for the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks – featuring a family-friendly display at 7.45pm and another at midnight – with some arriving as early as 7.45am to bag the best vantage points.
Four months in the planning, the city’s skyline will be lit up by 80,000 individual fireworks fired from four barges along the Brisbane River in what will be the state’s largest Queensland-produced display this year.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE BEST PLACES TO WATCH THE BRISBANE FIREWORKS
Despite overcast skies and a slight drizzle earlier in the day, the crowds grew quickly, with the majority of open spots along the foreshore were filled by 2pm.
Every square inch of the South Bank parkland was filled by 7.15pm, with crowds awaiting the 7:45pm and midnight fireworks.
Mark Dreger was among the first to arrive this morning at South Bank, looking steadfast and slightly sunburnt after hours of marking his New Year’s Eve territory.
“I’ve been here every year for a very long time,” he said. “It’s one of the best days of the year.
“I got here at 8:30am because I wanted to be as close to the fireworks as possible.
“From about 12pm it really started filling up.”
Jacqueline Gardner from Hendra and her mother Korina Krucican donned celebratory headwear for the occasion.
“I’ve just moved here from Sydney so I’m really looking forward to a Brisbane New Years,” Mrs Gardner said.
“Honestly in Sydney it’s so crazy that we’ve never even bothered trying to see the fireworks.
“But we got here at 3pm, and it was easy to get a spot with a great view.
“You’d never be able to do that in Sydney.”
Shana Roberts and her children had driven from Ormeau on the Gold Coast to watch the fireworks from the water at Streets Beach, but were disappointed to find the beach closed.
“We’ve been here since 3pm, the kids all planned to swim this evening,” Ms Roberts said.
“But when we got here we saw a sign saying the pool would close at 5pm.
“It’s just really disappointing for the kids that’s all.”
South Bank Corporation said in a statement: “This temporary closure will support safe crowd management during New Year’s Eve celebrations.”
Ms Roberts said: “A few years ago we were able to swim here until at least 9pm on New Year’s Eve and you could watch the fireworks from the water.
“It’s a bit of a let-down, but we’re still looking forward to a cracking night.”
The W Brisbane Hotel’s WET Deck was jam-packed with a sold-out crowd.
General manager Micheal Clarke said: “We are excited to be here at W Brisbane WET deck and it’s going to be amazing fireworks, and looking forward to bring the new year with our fantastic team at W Brisbane.”
Some of the W’s interstate guests were elated after witnessing the Brisbane fireworks for the first time.
The guests had reserved their spots at the W Brisbane from October.
Meanwhile, occupants of nearby offices and apartments enjoyed the fireworks from their premium vantage points.
Earlier, Lisa from Rochedale arrived at South Bank just before 7am to nab a spot right next to a barbecue.
“We came here on Saturday and had a look around,” she said.
“This was the perfect spot for us. We had breakfast here and will have lunch and dinner here.”
Kim arrived about 9am and will be staying only for the 7.45pm show.
“It’s the perfect spot, we will see it all. The barge is right in front of us and it’s clear,” she said.
She said she was not at all bothered about the humidity, adding that her umbrella and a portable fan would be more than enough for her.
Leeann Danielle, Caidence Nicolaou and Kara May have been coming to South Bank for the New Year’s Eve celebrations for more than five years.
“It’s a good view. If you’re not here first you have to squeeze into a small area and it gets really messy. We have portable chargers, drinks, books and chairs. We are staying until midnight,” they said.
A Queensland Police Service officer on patrol this morning said so far everyone at South Bank is behaving ahead of tonight’s show.
Christo and Carleigh arrived just after 11am.
“We packed the Esky, the kids and all their stuff. We are saving a spot for the entire family. We are like designated drivers,” they joked.
Elisha Edwards and Desmond Nelsen said were excited to see the show.
“We haven’t been to the New Year’s Eve fireworks for 10 years. We hope it will be great – we will have waited 13 hours for it,” they said.
Event security guard Ange said she specifically asked for the New Year’s Eve shift.
“I haven’t been out here in so long so it will be interesting to see,” she said.
Around Queensland, revellers will be out in huge numbers to see in the new year, with multiple cities and regions putting on events for their communities.
WHERE TO SEE BRISBANE FIREWORKS
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
City Botanic Gardens
Victoria Park
Highgate Hill Park
Mt Coot-tha Lookout
Wilson Outlook Reserve
Eagle Street Pier
Captain Burke Park
Clem Jones Promenade
River Quay and Riverside Green
Howard Smith Wharves
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