It’s hard to fathom, nearly ten years on from its official announcement, that Queen’s Wharf – the $3.6-billion development promising to change the inner-city landscape forever – is finally opening to the public. And yet, after years of drip-fed updates and incremental construction progress, here we are. Thursday August 29 marks the beginning of the precinct’s multi-phase unveiling, with Destination Brisbane Consortium – a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group and its Hong Kong-based partners Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium – raising the curtain on the gleaming jewel at the heart of the city-shaping development, The Star Brisbane.

As part of the grand debut, The Star is lifting the cloche on its five-star riverfront accommodation destination The Star Grand Hotel, which comprises 340 luxury rooms (including 60 suites and four grandiose 217-sqm Skyline Penthouse Suites) and a state-of-the-art event centre boasting Brisbane’s largest hotel ballroom. Also opening to the public at The Star Brisbane the Sky Deck – the building’s observation deck level, which is perched 100 metres above the Brisbane River and is open to the public 24/7. The first of Sky Deck’s three venues, open-air bar Cicada Blu, will open to the public today from 5:00 pm

In exciting news for the foodies amongst you, The Star Brisbane is also lifting the cloche on a number of its in-house food and beverage concepts. Located on The Star Brisbane’s entry level is premier Japanese restaurant Sokyo, where executive head chef Alex Yu (known as the ‘sashimi florist’) will oversee a menu featuring the likes of Hiramasa kingfish with miso ceviche and crispy potato, spicy tuna served on a bed of crispy rice and charcoal-grilled truffle-infused lobster (we’ll have an up-close look at Sokyo for you soon). On The Star Brisbane’s gaming floor, which is also opening today, you’ll find celebrity chef and culinary adventurer Luke Nguyen’s newest iteration of Fat Noodle, which will deliver a reimagined experience anchored by flavour-packed Southeast Asian cuisine. Close by will sit Food Quarter (a Brisbane-inspired dining hall boasting floor-to-ceiling glass windows and river views), LiveWire (the precinct’s dedicated live-entertainment venue hosting a roster of live acts), Sports Bar (a lively nexus equipped with 100-sqm of LED screens and a stadium-like sound system) and Cherry (an opulent cocktail bar nestled at the centre of the resort).

Linking Queen’s Wharf to the other side of the river is the Neville Bonner Bridge, a new 320-m pedestrian bridge connecting The Star Brisbane and South Bank. The bridge will lead wanderers to The Terrace, The Star’s main dining precinct. Here you’ll find a host of restaurants, all set to open between September and November. Calling The Terrace home will be Cucina Regina, Potentia Solutions Leisure’s luxe Latin American-inspired restaurant Azteca, Ghanem Group’s Indochine-inspired restaurant and bar Lúc Lắc, chic steakhouse Black Hide Steak & Seafood by Gambaro, and a Tassis Group two-header in the form of Dark Shepherd and Pompette. Also opening in September will be the other two dining destinations located on Sky Deck, including all-day dining venue Babblers and elevated restaurant Aloria.

“Brisbane is in for a treat with a variety of day and night venues to open between now and November, catering to all tastes and appetites,” said The Star Brisbane CEO Daniel Finch in a statement. “From dining and dancing under the stars at the much-anticipated Sky Deck venues to fresh new offerings from the who’s who of Brisbane’s culinary scene, we’ve got a jam-packed calendar of celebrations to look forward to over the coming months.”

The gradual unveiling of The Star Brisbane and Queen’s Wharf will continue over the next few weeks and months (and into the new year) with the unveiling of the resort’s open-air Leisure Deck (which boasts the equivalent of two football fields of public space), the launch of The Dorsett and Rosewood hotel towers, Velo Cafe and its end-of-trip facilities, more additions to The Terrace (including a rumoured ice-creamery and a new Asian-inspired dining concept), public spaces such as the Finger Wharves, The Landing and Miller Park, a suite of luxury retail, and the activation of existing heritage buildings and surrounding laneways with new retail, food and beverage outlets and experiences.

We’ll be covering each stage of Queen’s Wharf’s unveiling – stay tuned for more.