Latest news with #Riverfire
Time Out
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Brisbane's biggest fireworks display is back with a show to rival Sydney's NYE
Last month, Australia's largest international art festival dropped its 2025 program, featuring more than 1,000 performances across 23 gloriously jam-packed days. Brisbane Festival will kick off with a serious bang on Saturday, September 6, as Riverfire lights up the skyline with the city's biggest and most beloved fireworks spectacular. Sparks will fly from bridges, barges and rooftops, painting the night sky in a kaleidoscopic display of colour and light. In a Queensland first, Riverfire 2025 will feature pyrotechnic drones illuminating the sky in 600 thrilling formations. Here's everything you need to know about Riverfire 2025, including the best viewing spots and pre-show entertainment. What is Riverfire Brisbane? A highlight on Queensland's cultural calendar since 1998, Riverfire has grown to become one of Australia's largest public events, attracting more than 500,000 people each year. Crowds flock to Brisbane's riverbanks, parks, bridges and rooftops to watch the explosive spectacle, with fireworks shooting from 17 firing locations, including two bridges, five barges and seven city rooftops. Riverfire 2025 is set to dazzle with more fireworks than ever before and a powerful synchronised soundtrack curated by acclaimed composer and sound designer Guy Webster, broadcast live on Triple M. For the first time in Queensland, this year's fireworks display will also feature a never-before-seen drone concept, with three specially-made pyrotechnic drones firing nearly 600 laser effects in various thrilling formations. When is Riverfire 2025? Brisbane Festival will kick off with a bang, with the launch of Riverfire on Saturday, September 6. The festivities will run through to September 27, featuring a smorgasbord of 1,000-plus performances, including 500 free events and 21 world premieres. What time is Riverfire 2025? The fireworks display officially starts at 7pm local time, but the fun begins earlier with live entertainment from 4pm. This includes loud and legendary aerial displays from Australian Defence Force aircraft. The pre-show entertainment will also feature a powerful dance and song performance by First Nations artists, Tribal Experiences. Where to watch Riverfire? If you want to be right in the heart of the action, South Bank Parklands is the place to be. Gates to the free, fenced zone at South Bank open at 9am on September 6. Other popular viewing spots for Riverfire 2025 include: Mt Coot-tha Lookout – for one of Brisbane's highest vantage points Kangaroo Point Cliffs – for a panoramic experience over the Brisbane River The Star precinct – for close-up viewing from a multi-level venue City Botanic Gardens – for a pretty riverside setting Victoria Park/Barrambin – a family-friendly spot for a picnic Howard Smith Wharves – for a range of ticketed drinking and dining experiences, complete with roving entertainment and DJs, including Fiume Rooftop Bar, Felons Barrel Hall and Babylon Rooftop Is Riverfire on TV? Prefer to watch from the comfort of your couch? You can watch the fireworks display live on Channel Nine. If you're enjoying the show from a distant lookout, tune in to Triple M to enjoy the synchronised soundtrack. How much does Riverfire cost? Riverfire is a free event, but many of Brisbane's top hotels, bars and restaurants will offer ticketed experiences. You can find out more about Riverfire 2025 here. 🎊 🌳
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday. Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday. Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday. Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
Time Out
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Australia's largest international art festival just dropped its 2025 program – here's what to expect
Brisbane 's pink and white banners are flying once again, signalling the return of the country's biggest international arts festival. Spanning 23 gloriously jam-packed days from September 5 to 27, Brisbane Festival 2025 will offer a smorgasbord of 1,000-plus performances, featuring more than 500 free events and 21 world premieres. Wowza! There's heaps to get hyped about this year, starting with Riverfire, when the city's biggest firework spectacular explodes over the Brisbane River. We're also super excited for the return of First Nations-designed drone show Skylore, plus the transformation of three of Brisbane's most popular pedestrian bridges into a spectacular open-air art trail, featuring inflatable installations and colourful projections designed by internationally renowned Aussie artists Craig & Karl. This year, Brisbane Festival has secured four Australian exclusives, including Gems – a world premiere dance trilogy by internationally renowned choreographer Benjamin Millepied and LA Dance Project, and 100 Guitars – an immersive sound experience featuring 100 electric guitarists from around the city. But the world premiere we're absolutely stocked for is Afterglow – a mesmerising journey through a dreamscape of fire sculpture, candlelit artworks and live performances in the City Botanic Gardens. Sounds lit, right? Theatre lovers can look forward to a joyous Tina Turner tribute by drag icon Miss Ellaneous (Ben Graetz), the reawakening of Twelfth Night Theatre for sell-out cabaret Gatsby at the Green Light, a pop-fuelled reimagining of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shake & Stir (titled The Lovers), and so much more. Seriously, you'll need a solid 30 minutes to scroll through the program. More into music? Festivalgoers can catch Australia's biggest names at Night at the Parkland – an epic outdoor concert under the stars featuring the likes of Icehouse, Lime Cordiale, Xavier Rudd and Amy Shark. Other Aussie favourites to look out for on this year's program include Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko and Winston Surfshirt, plus the return of Brisbane Serenades – a series of free outdoor concerts across the city. Is it just us or is everyone else buzzing with excitement overload? You can explore the full Brisbane Festival program – did we mention more than a third of the events are free? – and get your tickets here. 🤘🏾
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
