Over the weekend, The Star Brisbane announced details of its multi-stage launch, which will take place as part of the $3.6-billion riverside precinct’s phased opening. Commencing on Thursday August 29 and progressing into the latter stages of the year, The Star Brisbane and Queen’s Wharf will welcome a raft of new restaurants, bars, public spaces and retail destinations.

Leading the charge on day one will be the opening of five-star, 340-room accommodation destination The Star Grand, which will commence bookings soon. Also launching at this time will be a number of previously announced venues, including entertainment hub Livewire, the sprawling Sports Bar, lavish cocktail bar Cherry, the new iteration of celebrity chef Luke Nguyen’s Fat Noodle restaurant and Japanese-inspired concept Sokyo Brisbane, as well as The Star Brisbane’s main casino floor and premium gaming rooms. The Queen’s Wharf precinct will also be cutting the ribbon on 7.4-ha of public space in late-August, including the Neville Bonner Bridge, the Bicentennial Bikeway and Miller Park, as well as The Star Brisbane’s Sky Deck viewing platform and its level seven Leisure Deck.

After this flurry of immediate activity, The Star Brisbane will progressively unveil a string of other aspects throughout September, including The Terrace’s dining offering (featuring the likes of Cucina Regina and Azteca), Sky Deck’s trio of eateries, and The Landing and Finger Wharves – newly created green public spaces that are expected to open after Riverfire.

“We want to ensure our team members are prepared, our facilities have been tested, our processes are right and importantly our guests have an exceptional experience that they will talk about and come back to experience again,” says The Star Brisbane chief executive officer Daniel Finch. “Not everything will open all at once on day one. That also means returning guests will find something new to experience, not just here at The Star but also across both sides of the river.”

The next stage of The Star Brisbane and Queen’s Wharf’s multi-phase rollout will see the unveiling of The Dorsett and Rosewood hotel towers, Velo Cafe and its end-of-trip facilities, more additions to The Terrace (including an ice-creamery and a new Asian-inspired dining concept), a suite of luxury retail, and the activation of existing heritage buildings with new retail, food and beverage outlets and experiences.

Rest assured we’ll be taking a closer look at all of the above. It’s set to be an exciting few months, so stay tuned!