South-East Queensland soon to welcome its newest star

WORDS: Nicole Barclay PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

THE $3.6B ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE DESTINATION TRANSFORMING QUEENSLAND’S CAPITAL
Queensland’s newest entertainment and leisure destination is taking shape on Brisbane’s river edge, transforming an underutilised part of the city into a breathtaking and vibrant oasis that embraces the region’s enviable outdoor lifestyle.

Set for a staged opening from 29 August 2024, the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct will change the face of Brisbane with an iconic design that reflects the region’s subtropical climate and celebrates the precinct’s Indigenous and European heritage.

The Star Brisbane – the entertainment hub at the heart of the 12-hectare precinct – will deliver an array of new dining, bars and entertainment options, five-star luxury hotel The Star Grand and a state-of-the-art Event Centre from August, boosting the region’s destinational offering ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Celebrity chef Luke Nguyen is amongst The Star Brisbane’s culinary headliners, delivering delectable and dynamic Asian street food favourite Fat Noodle, whilst Australia’s Sashimi Florist, Chef Alex Yu, makes a poetic return to The Star at the helm of Sokyo Brisbane. A showstopping Sports Bar equipped with 100sqm of LED screens, dedicated live entertainment venue LiveWire and cheeky cocktail bar Cherry will all open from day one. Meanwhile authentic Italian family dining Cucina Regina, Black Hide Steak & Seafood (by Gambaro), flavourful Latin-American Azteca (by Potentia Solutions Leisure) and vibrant and lush Lúc Lắc (by Ghanem Group) on The Terrace will join a steady stream of new restaurants, bars and destinations opening into September and throughout the remainder of 2024.

The resort’s seemingly suspended Sky Deck proudly soars 100 metres above the Brisbane River, inviting locals and visitors to experience Queensland’s capital from a brand-new perspective while having the added allure of dining under the open sky. Taking centre stage on Sky Deck, Cicada Blu is the captivating day-to-night destination that moves to the rhythm of the city, whilst on the eastern end, Babblers brings together thoughtful handcrafted food with brave flavours to deliver a bustling all-day dining experience.

The Star Brisbane’s much-anticipated signature restaurant Aloria is the hero of the Sky Deck trio; an elegant dining venue where dry-aged beef and Queensland’s world-class seafood are the stars of the show. Aloria’s beverage offering will set a new standard for Brisbane as the official ‘cellar in the sky’, showcasing the city’s best and brightest cellar of wine, and a dedicated Martini menu that celebrates the cocktail in its simplest and truest form to the Marguerite, Martine, Martigny, Martina, Martineau and the Bradford à la Martini.

The Sky Deck complements the resort’s Leisure Deck – a 12,000sqm open-air oasis – which will deliver two football fields of public space to provide a vast range of unique and exciting experiences, open free to the public throughout the year.

Those looking to indulge in a world of discovery will be spoilt for choice with four future luxury hotels including The Star Grand, comprising 340 luxury rooms and suites and four penthouses. The Star’s signature 5-star hotel is now open for bookings for stays from 29 August and provides a glimpse of what’s to come for the transformational Brisbane project which will welcome a contemporary 4.5-star Dorsett hotel and Australia’s only ultra-luxury Rosewood hotel in future phases, alongside the grandeur of one of city’s most iconic heritage hotels, Treasury Brisbane.

Anchored by Brisbane’s largest hotel ballroom, The Star’s expansive state-of-the-art Event Centre is ready to host a full calendar of events and conferences from early September and will offer an industry leading, best-in-class facility with a 20-metre-long bar leading to an outdoor terrace. From sit-down gala dinners, cocktail soirées or rooftop product launches to large-scale exhibitions or trade shows, the highly anticipated destination has been purposely designed to cater for events of every scale and signals a thrilling new era for events in Brisbane.

Once fully operational, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is expected to attract approximately 1.4 million additional visitors each year, delivering an estimated 1,000 premium hotel rooms, a mouth-watering array of restaurants and bars, world-class entertainment, luxury retail, stunning public artworks, one of Australia’s greatest collections of heritage treasures and 12 football fields of public space at the centre of Brisbane’s CBD.

The development will also provide a pedestrian link between two of Brisbane’s largest cultural and lifestyle precincts, connecting Queen’s Wharf to South Bank and Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) via the Neville Bonner Bridge, named in honour of Australia’s first indigenous parliamentarian.

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is being delivered by Destination Brisbane Consortium – a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group alongside its Hong Kong-based partners, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium.

For more information, visit the star.com.au/brisbane