Cairns' Esplanade Dining Precinct Opens Just In Time For State Of Origin

Cairns’ long-awaited Esplanade Dining Precinct was officially opened just in time for the historic State of Origin 2021 opening game; the first to be held in regional Australia.

Venues across Cairns were expected to be packed, with a heavy police presence monitoring CBD streets. Officers advised they were going to be paying close attention to anyone driving to and from Townsville on the Bruce Highway.

As countdown to kick-off drew near, local venues were spotted filling up kegs and blowing up the maroon balloons.

The General Manager of The Jack Hotel said that, despite limited capacity, the venue would be pumping all night.

“The main thing for us is, obviously, the cap on capacity numbers, so where before we would have had 800 people, we’re no down to 450. We’re still aiming for that full capacity at 450 but it can’t be as physically big as previous years, of course. We’re still looking forward to a really good night,” he said.

The First Regional State Of Origin Game Was Set To Kick Off On Wednesday

Join Tom Tilley with regular rotating co-hosts Jan Fran, Annika Smethurst and Jamila Rizvi on The Briefing, Monday - Saturday, for the day's headlines and breaking news as well as hot topics and interviews. Available on Listnr.