Brisbane in Australia will welcome a state-of-the-art 63,000-seater stadium in the Victoria Park area for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Following the global event, one of Australia’s most iconic cricket stadiums, The Gabba, will be demolished.
The new stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2032 Olympics, as well as athletics events. It will also become Brisbane’s primary venue for cricket, replacing the Gabba, which has been a fixture of Australian cricket for nearly a century.
The decision to demolish the Gabba follows a 100-day review into planning for the Games. While initial plans considered redeveloping the historic venue, the review concluded that the Gabba had reached the end of its life and was no longer suitable for modern sporting needs.
“The Gabba is at its end of life. It hasn’t been well maintained, and we do need a stadium to host this great show, and there is an opportunity for legacy play,” Crisafulli explained.
The Gabba could still see cricket played on its grounds before its demolition. Premier Crisafulli even floated the idea of the Gabba hosting cricket at the 2032 Olympics, should the sport be retained after its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic final? The Gabba’s swansong,” he said.
Queensland Cricket has backed the plans, with chief executive Terry Svenson acknowledging the Gabba’s legacy while supporting the need for a modern facility. “The Gabba has been a wonderful venue, but its challenges are well documented,” Svenson said.
The new stadium is part of a broader infrastructure overhaul for the 2032 Games. A 25,000-seater national aquatic centre will be built in Spring Hill, while a 20,000-seater arena is planned near the main athletes’ village.
Rowing events will take place on Queensland’s Fitzroy River, which is known for its saltwater crocodiles. However, the government has assured the public that the waters are safe. “If it’s good enough for central Queensland kids, I reckon it’s good enough for Pierre from Paris,” Crisafulli joked.
Since 1931, The Gabba has hosted 67 men’s Test matches and two women’s Tests. It became the traditional starting point for Australian Test summers, though in recent years, Perth has occasionally taken that role.
The Gabba is set to host a day-night Test against England in the 2025-26 Ashes series, but its future beyond that remains uncertain. While it may still host white-ball matches and potentially more Tests before its demolition, its days as a cricketing fortress are numbered.
