On Sunday, the council revealed its complete plan for the 2026 New Year’s Eve shows, adding two new drone light shows over the Brisbane River at 9pm and 11pm, between the 7.45pm and midnight fireworks displays.
The council recommended five inner-city vantage points, including South Bank, Kangaroo Point, Queen’s Wharf, Howard Smith Wharves, and the Riverside Centre on Eagle Street.
Crowd control at these precincts would be managed throughout the night, while safety across Wednesday’s event was a multi-agency effort including police, SES, and public transport providers including the council and Translink, a council spokesperson said.
More than 600 buses will be added on the night, increasing by 200 from last year.
Train services will more than double across the night and early morning, totalling an additional 135 services – several dozen more than were added during 2025 New Year celebrations.
Crowds wait for buses after Riverfire 2025 in Brisbane.Credit: Nicklaus Pomah
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Main Roads, which manages Translink, said it had boosted its public transport offerings – including making travel free from 8pm – in a bid to reduce the number of cars in the city.
Translink would also run ferries on a special event timetable, available on its website ahead of Wednesday.
“Large crowds are expected, so we’re encouraging Queenslanders to plan ahead,” the spokesperson said.
Inner-city stops had also been shifted away from riverside roads, some of which would be closed off to accommodate crowds, although most streets would still remain open to cars.
