And the countdown is well and truly on for the night that stops Brisbane City… Riverfire.

Hotels are full and the city is buzzing, ready for tomorrow’s feast of fun with everything from fireworks to fighter jets.

Jim Malo reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Whetting our appetite the FA-18 Super Hornets tested their sting, through the skies of Brisbane at lunchtime.

The fly over is a highlight of the festivities, they’ll do three fly-bys tomorrow.

People even turned up a day early, to see the practice run.

Will Heath: “I thought they were fantastic!”

Zara Heath: “I thought the planes were great.”

Down on Eagle Street, skippers began lining their boats up for a good spot.

Restaurant staff are working hard to prepare for one of their busiest nights of the year.

Andy Georges, Il Centro Owner: “We were booked out two weeks ago, there were two cancellations, we just filled them straight away.”

Around half a million onlookers are expected at tomorrow’s event.

Which means public transport will be under pressure.

Translink is confident the extra busses and trains they’ve put on will be sufficient.

Andrew Christie, Translink Spokesperson: “Once you’ve enjoyed the event of course, everyone tends to try and get out. For two hours after the event we’ve got free travel just to make sure it’s safe for people to disperse from the event.”

Former Lord Mayor, Jim Soorley, founded Riverfire.

He’s proud of the how the event has grown.

Jim Soorley, Founder of Riverfire: “I think it’s a very good PR publicity event for the city of Brisbane, they love it and they love getting involved with the celebration.”

He plans to watch the event from his back deck with his grandkids.

When Riverfire rolls around each year, a good vantage point is always a hot item. I’m on the 10th floor of QUT’s new Science and Engineering centre in the aptly named Room 360, arguably the best spot for this year’s fireworks.

Jim Malo, QUT News.