Entertainment precincts

Queen’s Wharf

The city-changing $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf development will be one of the largest and most exciting additions to Brisbane in its history. The enormous project covers 12 hectares of land and will add a new pedestrian bridge across to South Bank, 2000 apartments, over 1000 hotel rooms and a 1000 seat ballroom as part of the entertainment precinct.

With plenty of new bars, more than 50 new restaurants, exciting public spaces and world class retail, the project is positioned to welcome over 1.3 million patrons each year.

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development 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

Once COVID-19 restrictions ease, you can explore the future of Brisbane at Queen’s Wharf’s state-of-the-art visitor centre in the CBD. Open to the public Monday – Friday, on the corner of George and Alice Streets, the visitor centre contains an interactive 3D model of the development including the surrounding CBD and South Bank areas, a virtual reality Sky Deck experience, a local area history exhibit and photo booth that places you inside the finished development. Above the visitors centre, by appointment only, you can visit a luxury display suite for apartments in the first residential tower.

As we reported earlier, construction is still on track with heavy vehicle restriction relaxed. As to the impact of COVID-19 on this important build, Project Director Simon Crooks told My Brisbane:

“For now, the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane project is continuing as planned with no delays on-site. I am however aware that this is a constantly changing environment and we will continue to monitor and adapt as needed.”

Estimated Completion: Queen’s Wharf stage one developments are due to open in 2022 and the project’s first residential tower due for completion in 2023.

Brisbane Live

Brisbane Live is a major revitalisation project that will transform the underutilised Roma Street corner of the CBD into a major entertainment precinct.

The project ties in closely with the Cross River Rail Roma Street Precinct by perching an 18,000 capacity arena above the Roma Street Rail Precinct. Brisbane Live will host concerts, sporting events and is cited as future proofing major entertainment in the city, superseding the aging Boondall Entertainment Centre .

This modern arena will also be a major selling point for Brisbane as we bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games. The state government recently announced they are seeking partners for the project, however, locals are excited about the prospect of Brisbane Live going ahead.

Estimated completion: Planning for Brisbane Live is progressing, though no estimated completion date has been announced.

QPAC’s New Theatre – brand new brutalism

Despite the clunky working acronym, NPAV (New Performing Arts Venue) will be constructed alongside Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on the Playhouse Green. The Green, on the corner of Grey and Russell Streets, is the only section of undeveloped land in the brutalist arts precinct.

NPAV adds another large capacity venue to QPAC, which currently schedules over 1,300 performances annually recording an attendance of 1.5 million people in 2017/18. NPAV will have a maximum seating capacity of 1,521 and the state government hopes to host over 300,000 patrons at 260 performances in the new theatre.

In 2019, Architect Blight Rayner + Snøhetta won the tender to design QPAC’s fifth theatre. The concepts are world class and respect the precinct’s original design by Robin Gibson. With the addition of NPAV, QPAC will be the largest performing arts centre in Australia.

In May last year the Queensland Government announced it would invest $125 million into the project to meet the growing demand for a new venue and in turn, strengthen Brisbane’s cultural offerings. Lendlease were announced as managing contractor last year, with early works and construction due to begin this year.

Estimated completion: Early works have begun. The New Performing Arts Venue is currently targeted for completion in 2022.