Gabba's end date set with new Brisbane stadium announcement

The Gabba's days are numbered with the Queensland government today releasing its plan for the 2032 Olympics.

Headlining Queensland premier David Crisafulli's seven-year blueprint is the proposal for a new A$3.8 billion, 63,000-seat stadium in Victoria Park, just north of Brisbane's CBD, to host the opening and closing ceremonies.

The new stadium will ultimately replace the Gabba for its primary roles as the home ground for the Queensland Bulls and Australian rules football side the Brisbane Lions. 

Queensland cricket confirmed in a statement that the Gabba would "continue as the sport’s major venue until post-2032", after which point the venue would be demolished.

“The Gabba has been wonderful venue for cricket for many years and has provided fans and players with countless memories – however the challenges the stadium faces are well documented, and we need to look to the future," Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson said in a statement.

Cricket Australia will now have the opportunity to revisit the international venue allocation that it released last year, with the Gabba only guaranteed matches until 2025-26 given the lack of clarity around the future of the venue at the time.

"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.

The Gabba has a rich history and holds a special place in the hearts of Australian cricket fans, hosting 67 men's Tests and two women's Tests since the first in 1931.

Memorable moments at the ground include cricket's first tied Test in 1960, Mitch Starc's Ashes-opening dismissal of Rory Burns in 2021 and James Faulkner's ODI masterpiece in 2014.

Known for a sharp bounce and pace-friendly wickets, the 'Gabbatoir' became Australia's most dominant venue, with the hosts going unbeaten there between 1988 and 2021 with a majority of those matches the first Test of the Australian summer.

Olympic cricket will make its debut in the 2028 Los Angeles games and if it remains on the ticket for 2032, matches have been earmarked for Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, which has also been promised a renovation, not the new Victoria Park stadium.

However, the Gabba will also host certain Olympic matches, with premier Crisafulli dreaming big at the plan's announcement.

"Wouldn't it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic final? The Gabba's swansong," Crisafulli said in Brisbane.

"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."