Brisbane is preparing for one of its biggest nights of the year, with Riverfire 2026 set to light up the Brisbane River on Saturday, September 5. Fireworks begin at 7pm, but a full ferry shutdown, bridge closures and major transport changes mean anyone heading into the city will need to plan earlier than usual.
Riverfire launches the opening weekend of Brisbane Festival 2026, which runs from September 4 to 26. Up to half a million people are expected around the river precincts, placing heavy pressure on roads, stations and popular viewing areas.
What time does Riverfire Brisbane 2026 start?
Entertainment begins from 4pm. The C-17A Globemaster III is scheduled to fly over Brisbane at about 4:52pm, followed by an F/A-18F Super Hornet display at approximately 5:20pm.
The main Riverfire fireworks start at 7pm. This year’s display includes an additional fireworks barge between Victoria Bridge and Neville Bonner Bridge, expanding the show across the central river precinct.
Popular viewing locations include South Bank, Queen’s Wharf, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, City Botanic Gardens, Captain Burke Park, Wilson Outlook Reserve, Howard Smith Wharves, Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Highgate Hill Park.
No Brisbane River ferries on Riverfire day
The biggest travel change this year is the loss of Brisbane River ferry services. Brisbane City Council says no CityCat or ferry services will operate from 4am Saturday until 4am Sunday because of industrial action involving River City Ferries staff.
About 27,000 people used ferries for Riverfire last year, so buses and trains are likely to carry a much larger share of the crowd in 2026.
Large transport disruptions have already been a major issue for Queensland commuters this year, including earlier Queensland Rail service cuts during a separate pay dispute. For Riverfire, however, extra train and bus capacity has been scheduled specifically to move spectators.
Extra buses, trains and free travel
The M1 will run about every four minutes from around 3pm, while route 130 is scheduled approximately every eight minutes. Brisbane City Council says enough extra bus capacity is planned for about 36,500 additional passenger trips within 90 minutes after the fireworks.
Trains will run roughly every 15 minutes between 7:35pm and 9:05pm on most lines, excluding Doomben, Sunshine Coast, Rosewood and Airport services.
Free travel home on eligible bus and train services will run from 7:30pm to 9:30pm from selected inner-city stations. Visitors should check the official Translink Riverfire transport guide before travelling because temporary stops and diversions may affect individual routes.
Bus diversions after the fireworks
From 7pm to 9pm, most southbound services will skip Cultural Centre platform 2, South Bank platform 4 and Mater Hill platform 2. The M1, M2 and a special Woolloongabba shuttle will continue serving those key stations.
William Street stop 103 will also close from 4pm to 11pm, with passengers on several affected routes directed to an alternative stop at King George Square.
Riverfire bridge, road and river closures
Victoria Bridge will close to vehicles and bicycles from 4pm to 10pm. Pedestrians can cross for much of the evening, but access will stop between 6:45pm and 7:30pm during the fireworks period.
Goodwill Bridge will close to pedestrians and cyclists from 4pm to 8pm. Neville Bonner Bridge will have restricted pedestrian access from 9am before fully closing between 4pm and 10pm. All traffic lanes on Story Bridge will close from 6:30pm to 8pm.
Road restrictions will also affect Brisbane City, South Brisbane, Kangaroo Point, Fortitude Valley, Mount Coot-tha and Mount Gravatt. Clem7 tolls will be waived between 6:30pm and 8pm.
The Brisbane River will close to recreational traffic from 5pm until 8:45pm between Mowbray Park in East Brisbane and the Go Between Bridge area.
South Bank entry rules and crowd planning
South Bank will operate as a controlled event precinct, with security checks and capacity limits expected at busy entry points. Alcohol, drones, glass and opened drink containers are restricted, while empty water bottles can be taken inside and refilled.
A dedicated accessible viewing area at Kangaroo Point Cliffs will have capacity for around 300 people on a first-come, first-served basis.
With ferries unavailable and several bridges closing before the fireworks, arriving well before the 4:52pm flyover should reduce the risk of transport delays and losing access to preferred viewing locations. Anyone travelling home after the show should expect the heaviest pressure immediately after 7pm and recheck Translink updates before starting the journey.
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