Overview
Brisbane Lions fans, 2020 AFL grand final attendees, cricket aficionados, anyone who has ever seen a gig at the Brisbane Cricket Ground: the Woolloongabba venue that you know and love is being torn down. In its place, ready for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, a new stadium will be built as part of what's being called a "major urban renewal project".
This plan was first floated back in 2021, but with a big caveat given that it was contingent upon the River City scoring the Olympic Games hosting gig. That was locked in in that same year, but the issue of funding the Gabba rebuild has been a topic of conversation ever since. Now, today, Friday, February 17, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have confirmed that the Gabba demolition is going ahead.
The venue will become the main stadium for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032, and will be rebuilt with that in mind. But it's obviously also a year-round site for other sports events — Aussie rules and cricket use it for an average of 40 weeks a year — so supporting the stadium's long-term professional sports requirements is also a priority. The rebuild will also ensure it still functions as a top-notch entertainment venue, too.
Chosen after assessing four options, including a refurbishment of the existing stadium, plus just tearing down and rebuilding part of the Gabba, the new stadium will seat 50,000 — an increase from the current 42,000-patron capacity — and is estimated to cost $2.7 billion. On the list of new features: change room facilities for female athletes, lifts and escalators instead of the imposing stairs, and a larger entry concourse.
In a venue aiming for a six-star green-star rating, the dining options and member spaces will also get a makeover, and feature kitchens and food and beverage outlets.
Part of the redevelopment will focus on improved disability access, too, plus better transport connection. With the latter, get ready to mosey across a new pedestrian walkway, via a bridge over Main Street, that'll connect the Gabba to the new Cross River Rail station and the future Metro station.
To make space for the larger stadium, East Brisbane State School next door will be relocated within two kilometres from December 2025. That said, the heritage buildings within the school won't be torn down — rather, they'll be refurbished and repurposed into the new Gabba.
"We know hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accelerate the infrastructure and housing we need to support a growing Queensland," said the Premier, announcing the news.
"The Gabba has hosted sport for more than a century and is home to cricket and AFL most weeks of the year. But it's no secret that Queensland is losing out on major sporting events already — and the tourism, jobs and investment that come with them because The Gabba is not up to scratch."
"It must be upgraded to maintain our competitiveness for international sport and events. When it's done, this stadium will shine for Queensland, and so will the area surrounding it," Palaszczuk continued.
The Gabba will become the focal point for the major urban renewal project, which will extend the existing Woolloongabba Priority Development Area to cover more of the inner-city suburb, complete with the Stanley Street precinct going over to South Bank. Spanning beyond just the stadium, the development will also provide more social and affordable housing.
If you're an AFL or cricket fiend wondering how long it'll take, the whole Gabba revamp is expected to run over four years, starting in 2026 and welcoming in sports fans again in 2030. Brisbane Lions games and cricket matches will need to move elsewhere, obviously, while the site is out of action, with the Premier advising that talks are ongoing about other grounds the two sports could use.
The Gabba has been a permanent cricket ground since 1895, and has undergone several revamps over that time, including the refurbishment of its entrances and amenities in 2020.
For more information about the plans for the Gabba, head to the Queensland Government website.