The historic Gabba stadium will be demolished after the 2032 Olympic Games, and cricket will move to a new 60,000-seater stadium in the Victoria Park area of Brisbane, which will be built for the Olympics.
Queensland’s premier, David Crisafulli, revealed the latest plans for the 2032 Olympic infrastructure on Tuesday.
Crisafulli provided the long-awaited clarity for cricket, which had been affected by uncertainty surrounding the state’s post-Olympics vision.
Since being awarded the games in 2021, Queensland explored multiple proposals before finalizing the new stadium.
International matches for the iconic Gabba were only guaranteed until next summer’s men’s Ashes when Cricket Australia (CA) announced its seven-year international venue allocation in 2024.
“This decision gives us certainty about venues and scheduling which in turn allows us to ensure Brisbane hosts the very best possible international and domestic cricket,” CA said in a statement.
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“We strongly advocated building a stadium in Victoria Park together with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and Brisbane Lions, and cricket will play a major role in ensuring this significant investment delivers long-term benefits for cricket fans and the people of Queensland.”
The statement thanked the Queensland government for giving fans, the city, and the state a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“On behalf of the cricket community we want to thank the Queensland Government for seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the fans, the city and the state the stadium they deserve.”
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will mark the second time cricket is included in the Olympics, having previously been featured in 1900.
If cricket is retained for 2032, following the 2028 Olympics, the matches could be played at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena and Gabba before being demolished.
Crisafulli expressed excitement at an event in Brisbane, suggesting it would be incredible to witness the Australian cricket team win a gold medal at the Olympic final, referring to it as “The Gabba’s swansong.”
David Crisafulli expressed excitement about witnessing the Australian cricket team win a gold medal at the Olympic final, referring to it as “The Gabba’s swansong.”
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic final? The Gabba’s swansong,” Crisafulli said at an event in Brisbane.
Notably, the Labor government had planned to demolish and rebuild the Gabba for A$2.7 billion ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. However, the proposal was rejected due to public backlash over rising costs.
The Gabba stadium holds a special place in the hearts of Australian cricket fans due to its legacy and rich history. The famous stadium has hosted 67 men’s Tests and two women’s Tests since the first in 1931.
The Australian cricket team has an impressive test record at this venue, having played 66 Tests and winning 42 of them. The most recent teams to defeat the Aussies at this venue were the West Indies in 2024 and India in 2021.
India became the first team in 32 years to beat Australia at this ground, having not lost a single test match since 1988.
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