Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic stadium will be a 63,000-seat venue alongside a new national aquatics centre in Victoria Park. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced the plans on Tuesday. The city will also get a 20,000-seat stadium at Brisbane Showgrounds, while some events will move to regional Queensland.
The stadium project factsheet
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Main stadium: 63,000-seat stadium in Victoria Park
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Additional venue: 20,000-seat boutique stadium at Brisbane Showgrounds
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Aquatics centre: New national facility in Victoria Park
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Tennis upgrade: 3,000-seat showcourt at Queensland Tennis Centre
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Gabba: Hosts cricket during the Olympics, then demolished
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Investment: A$2.5 billion ($1.57 billion) for an indoor arena, now privately funded
The Queensland Tennis Centre will be upgraded with a new 3,000-seat showcourt. Meanwhile, the Gabba will host cricket during the Games before being demolished.
The venue plans have sparked political debates since since the Games were awarded to Brisbane in 2021. Crisafulli believes it is time to move forward. He said:
Finally, Queensland has a plan. The time has come to just get on with it. We will.
The federal government was supposed to fund a A$2.5 billion ($1.57 billion) indoor arena, but it will now be offered to private investors. The government will use the funds for other infrastructure.
Crisafulli had opposed a new arena before his election last year. Now, he stands by the plan. He said:
It’s my decision. I wasn’t prepared to take the politically easy option when the truth is that wouldn’t be of benefit to the state. I believe in this plan and I think Queensland is going to back it.
Debates over Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic stadium on parkland
Not everyone supports the plan. Environmental group Save Victoria Park protested during the announcement. They also issued an open letter last week. The spokesperson, Sue Bremner, asked:
Do we really want to be known as the city that concretes over its historic parkland for a mega stadium?
Another change to the venue plan is unlikely. Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chief executive Matt Carroll has warned that a final plan must be ready by the end of June. The AOC welcomed the new announcement as “a very positive step towards delivering a successful Games.”
Queensland is nearly five times the size of Japan. Crisafulli said it is only fair for the whole state to host events.
Rowing will take place in Rockhampton on a river known for crocodiles, about 600 km north of Brisbane. Sailing events will happen in the Whitsunday Islands near the Great Barrier Reef.
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A confident vision for the Olympic stadiums in Queensland
Brisbane organising committee chief Andrew Liveris has been in contact with Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee’s point person for the Games. He said:
This is a go-get-it-done plan and this will be delivered. Queensland gets the best of venues, the Games get the best of Queensland.
The new stadiums will shape Brisbane’s sporting future. If managed well, the investment could benefit the city long after the Olympic flame goes out.
