The Gabba Will Be Demolished And Rebuilt for 2032 Olympics

image-lpcnap58The Gabba, Brisbane (Twitter)

The Gabba cricket stadium, envisioned as the central venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, is set to undergo a substantial transformation through a 2.7 billion Australian dollar (US$1.8 billion) redevelopment, as confirmed by Queensland state's Deputy Premier Steven Miles last Friday. 

Following the government's approval of a project validation report, the initiative aims to increase the stadium's seating capacity to 50,000 and create a link between the Gabba, a historical cricket center for the state, and a new underground rail station.

The expansion of the stadium's footprint will necessitate the relocation of a local primary school, and both cricket teams and the Brisbane Lions, a prominent Australian Football League club, will experience temporary moves during the construction phase. The construction timeline spans four years, commencing post the Gabba's hosting of an Ashes cricket Test against England in late 2025, with an anticipated completion date in 2030.

Here's what Steven Miles said:

“That project validation report assessed four possible options for the Gabba and identified that a demolition and rebuild provided the best possible outcome, the best value outcome for the city. It will be a well connected stadium but most importantly, it will trigger the urban renewal that we want to see … it will be one of the best parts of the city to live in.”



Brisbane, uncontested, secured the 2032 Olympic hosting rights in July 2021, becoming the third Australian city to do so after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. The Queensland state government, backed by local councils and Australia's federal government, leads the initiative with a focus on cost-efficiency, having 84% of required venues in place.