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Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner wants the Brisbane River to be part of 2032 Olympics celebrations, but suggests its width could make it hard to use for the opening ceremony.
The Seine in Paris was used for the opening ceremony at the 2024 Games, with athletes taking to the water on barges and boats.
What's next?
Premier Steven Miles says the state government wants to ensure the opening ceremony shows the best of Brisbane.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has warned the width of the city's river could pose a challenge if it were to be used during the opening ceremony for the 2032 Olympic Games.
His comments came after Paris showcased its famous Seine River during the opening ceremony for the 2024 Games over the weekend, with athletes taking to the water on barges and boats.
Mr Schrinner said the Brisbane River should play a role in Olympics celebrations when the city hosts the Games in 2032, but he was reluctant to copy what Paris did.
"[The Brisbane River is] one of the icons of our city. People gather around the Brisbane River every year for major events like Riverfire and the Brisbane festival," he said.
"So, there's an opportunity to do things like that, but not exactly replicating what Paris did."
Mr Schrinner also suggested the width of the Brisbane River could prove challenging.
"One of the things that Brisbane has very different to Paris is a much wider river. The river in Paris is probably less than half the size of the Brisbane River in terms of width," he said.
"You want that up close and personal experience, and we need to work out how that would operate in a Brisbane context."
Schrinner says spectators don't want to watch a screen
Brisbane City Council's Deputy Mayor Krista Adams is representing the council in Paris during the 2024 Games.
Mr Schrinner said Ms Adams had reported back that most of the opening ceremony was showcased on screens, rather than up close and in person.
"That's not necessarily an ideal situation, even though it was a specular event," he said.
"It's important that we get that personal experience of the opening ceremony and the personal involvement.
"It's one of the first learnings to take out of it is that people want to have that experience, and not just be watching a screen."
Premier Steven Miles would not say whether the opening ceremony for the 2032 Games should be held on or incorporate the Brisbane River.
However, he pointed out that the river would link key venues during the Games, such as Suncorp Stadium, South Bank, and the athletes' village.
"We will work closely with the IOC and Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee to ensure our opening ceremony shows the best of Brisbane, on the world stage," Mr Miles said.
"I'm sure whatever role the river plays in Brisbane 2032, visitors and athletes from around the world will grow to love it too."
'Let's celebrate who we are'
Former Queensland premier and Brisbane lord mayor Campbell Newman backed the use of the Brisbane River for the 2032 opening ceremony, saying it could be "even more spectacular" than Paris.
"If you think about the reach from Howard Smith Wharves, under the Story Bridge, back down around to the Botanic Gardens, and South Bank, you could have hundreds of thousands of people lining those banks for a fantastic vantage point," he said.
"Paris is a beautiful city, but I think Brisbane is quite spectacular as well in terms of the setting and the backdrop of the CBD."
Mr Newman also said an opening ceremony around the river would be more participatory than one hosted in a stadium, because it would enable more people to view it.
Former Brisbane lord mayor Sallyanne Atkinson said it was important for the city to "be ourselves" during the 2032 opening ceremony.
"When you think of all … the other cities where the Olympics have been, there is no other city even like Brisbane," she said.
"Let's celebrate that. Let's celebrate who we are."
Ms Atkinson also said the Brisbane River should be used during the Games.
"Our Brisbane River … winds through the city, so there's many ways in which we could use it," she said.
"I think it's an under-utilised river, and I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to focus attention on it more."