The iconic Gabba stadium, a cornerstone of Australian cricket and AFL for over a century, will be demolished after the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced today.

In its place, a cutting-edge 63,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park, just north of Brisbane’s CBD, will rise as the centerpiece for the Games, heralding a new era for sports in the state.

Crisafulli unveiled the $3.8 billion plan at a Brisbane event, reversing his election pledge against a new stadium build. “I’m sorry, but it’s my decision,” he said, citing time constraints that ruled out upgrading the aging Gabba by 2032.

The new venue will host athletics, AFL, and cricket, including Olympic T20 matches—cricket’s second Games appearance after 2028 in Los Angeles. “Imagine Australia winning gold at the Gabba’s swansong,” Crisafulli mused.

The Gabba, set for a $600 million facelift under prior plans, will instead bow out post-Olympics, with its Woolloongabba site slated for residential redevelopment. Victoria Park’s stadium, backed by Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket, promises a world-class legacy, hosting future Ashes, ICC events, and Big Bash games.

The shift ends years of debate—initially a $2.7 billion Gabba rebuild was scrapped in 2024 amid cost backlash, replaced by a now-axed QSAC upgrade.

With the Gabba’s last Test potentially in 2025-26 against England, Brisbane’s sporting future pivots to Victoria Park, ensuring continuity for fans and a bold Olympic footprint by 2032.