Brisbane New Year’s Eve marked a step change in how large-scale, city-wide celebrations can be conceived and delivered. For the first time in the event’s history, Skylighter led a fully unified fireworks and multimedia design across all river precincts, treating the city as one connected production environment rather than a series of independent sites. This approach was underpinned by close collaboration between fireworks, lighting, audio, video, network and communications specialists, with innovation driven by integration rather than scale alone.
The fireworks deployment comprised six barges delivering two shows each, supported by two rooftop firing locations and a centralised structure barge. Across the program, more than 3,000 aerial shells and over 100,000 individual effects were fired, ranging from single shots and multishots through to a custom 3D-printed halo ring. The halo ring was engineered to deliver debris-less single-shot effects in full 360-degree coverage and was fabricated locally by consumables and 3D product house Gig Life, in collaboration with Skylighter operator Sam Gibb.
Working within the constrained geometry of the Brisbane River, the design prioritised layering, angles and spatial distribution over constant large-format firing. This allowed the show to build and release energy organically, creating visual depth and rhythm while maintaining cohesion across the city skyline.
At the heart of the fireworks control system were 12 FireOne firing panels with 110 firing modules, operated through FireOne UltraFire. These formed the primary control architecture for the main firing features. Auxiliary control of the central tower and both rooftops was achieved using a completely wireless Firetek firing system, deploying 64 rails and 24 modules. As the Australian distributor, Skylighter was able to push the system at scale, achieving reliable, line-of-sight-free control across 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz networks at distances exceeding 700 metres, even in heavy rain.
Lighting Integration and Spatial Design
Lighting was treated as a parallel storytelling medium rather than a secondary layer. High Impact Lighting commenced the design process more than 12 months prior to the event, working alongside Skylighter to explore how lighting technology could be fully integrated with the fireworks architecture. Early planning identified sufficient capacity on each barge to support a dedicated 20 kVA generator per pyro position, unlocking the ability to deploy lighting across all barge locations.
Rather than concentrating lighting in a single hero position, the experience was distributed across the river, with lighting overlays installed on every barge. These systems were activated prior to sunset, animating the city with colour and movement between fireworks shows. Beam fixtures, strobes and washes were selected to provide multiple visual textures, allowing lighting to complement the fireworks and support the musical narrative as tracks progressed.
The central barge featured a Layher scaffold structure designed and installed by High Impact Lighting, providing multiple firing levels for Skylighter, including a truss enabling true 360-degree fireworks output. As a temporary structure, the build was fully engineered, with Form 15 and Form 12 certification achieved in collaboration with a structural engineer.
Lighting control was managed via a grandMA3 lite console with an onPC rack as backup. Each barge was fitted with Luminex GigaCore switches and Luminodes for Art-Net DMX distribution, while a bespoke wireless data system ensured reliable city-wide connectivity. Adverse weather conditions reinforced the value of recent infrastructure innovation, with IP-rated fixtures, True1/Truecon power systems and custom IP-rated data and distribution racks proving critical to maintaining system resilience.
1 x MA Lighting grandMA3 light
1 x MA3 ONPC Rack
7 x Luminex Gigacore
7 x Luminex Luminode 4
7 x One Stage Power Distro
7 x Bespoke Wireless Link
6 x McFarlane 20kva generators
24 x Light Sky Aquabeam 440LL
24 x Light Sky Mini Laser Aqua Pro
24 x Event Lighting Tsunami IP II
24 x Light Sky Aquabeam Pearl Pro
4 x Claypaky Sharpy Ultimo
Audio, Communications and Synchronisation
Delivering a multi-site event of this scale required absolute confidence in communications, timing and playback systems. Captivate AV partnered with Skylighter to deliver the core audio, timecode and communications infrastructure, supporting a tightly coordinated operation across a large geographic footprint.
A central control room was established at South Bank, where a Riedel Bolero wireless intercom system provided full-duplex communications for key personnel. The system enabled real-time coordination and decision-making throughout the show, with the wireless architecture allowing operators to remain mobile without compromising connectivity.
City-wide two-way radio coverage supported all field teams working across the fireworks footprint, which extended from Milton through to Kangaroo Point. Precise synchronisation was delivered via analogue FSK and timecode distribution using a hybrid of wired and wireless links, providing both redundancy and deployment flexibility.
Within the control centre, Captivate AV managed audio playback, video and timecode distribution using a redundant QLab Mac mini system. Playback and routing were handled through a DiGiCo Quantum 112 console, with Luminex network switches operating on a fibre backbone across South Bank to provide a stable platform for audio and timing transport.
Network, CCTV and Video Integration
Site-wide network and CCTV infrastructure was delivered in collaboration with Brisbane-based outdoor event specialists Buck Outdoor. Working closely with Skylighter and Captivate AV, Buck Outdoor provided redundant network connectivity and CCTV coverage using Ubiquiti systems and Starlink, ensuring all loading zones, launch sites and control areas remained secure and continuously connected.
A dedicated show control network was deployed to deliver network commands to The Star Brisbane’s video façade via optical fibre media converters, alongside a hard-lined Dante run across the dark fibre ties within the Neville Bonner Bridge. This marked the first time remote control of the façade for a show of this scale was executed offsite from the casino.
Live Weather Monitoring with multiple stations of the David Pro 3 series were deployed weeks in advance to observe trends and patterns as well as real time forecasts and data on the day
Network integration also supported the operation of a fleet of more than 200 drones. Control signals were managed from a launch site over 700 metres from the control room, with a bespoke PROPLEX LTC timecode converted to Art-Net over fibre and converted back again to trigger launch sequences. Both drone shows were designed in-house by Skylighter using the Verge Aero X7 system.
Video Content and City-Scale Storytelling
Video content extended the visual language of the show beyond fireworks and lighting. Local Brisbane-based video design studio Optikal Bloc, under the creative direction of Craig Wilkinson, produced two bespoke 10-minute animations aligned precisely with the show’s colour palette, pacing and thematic structure. These animations brought the video façade to life and were complemented by additional pixel-mapped elements delivered through the Star’s RAMUS video playback server, including integration across the Neville Bonner Bridge.
Through deep collaboration and a shared commitment to technical integration, Brisbane New Year’s Eve demonstrated how innovation at scale is achieved not through isolated systems, but through carefully aligned disciplines working toward a single creative and operational vision.
Technical Director & Show Call: Dale Norris
Fireworks Designer & Lead Operator: Harrison Smith
Lighting Director: Ash Neunendorf
Lighting Programmer – Dan Bourke
Lighting Systems Tech – Nathan Roser and Graham Ironside
Playback Operator: Isaac Ogilvie
Comms Engineer – Chris Goeldner
Network Manager – Stephen Brodie
Drone Pilot in Command – Dominic Vermaak
Chief Remote Pilot Julian Rushworth
Fireworks Operators – Nick Mitri, Alex Smerdon, Sam Gibb, Mick Mann, Hayden Seng, Liam Harvey, Abigail Mackay, Matt Hardakker, Lachlan Veal, Finn Omally, Mitchell Taylor
Images: Dominic Hubert, afterdarkmedia, VinoRaa Photography
