The skies above Brisbane roared to life on Friday as the Royal Australian Air Force’s EA-18G Growlers streaked across the city in rehearsal for this weekend’s Riverfire.

Thousands of onlookers filled pedestrian bridges, outlooks, and riverfront vantage points to catch the action. Office workers leaned out of high-rise windows while families gathered on the Goodwill Bridge and Kangaroo Point Cliffs to see the jets make their low-altitude passes.

“It shook the ground, you could feel it in your chest,”, “The kids thought it was the coolest thing they’ve ever seen.”. One person told media

The practice flights were a highlight in their own right, giving spectators an early taste of Riverfire’s military flyovers without the crush of Saturday’s crowds.

Defence officials confirmed the Growlers had been carefully timed and planned to minimise disruption, though the sound still echoed across suburbs well beyond the CBD.

For many, the rehearsal has become an unofficial warm-up to Riverfire itself. “It’s tradition for us to come watch the jets practice,” said Bribie resident Veronique Hamilton. “It gets you in the mood for the big night.”

With Riverfire fireworks and the full RAAF aerial display lighting up Brisbane the following evening, Friday’s jet run was the perfect curtain-raiser for the city’s biggest annual celebration.