What’s happening?
Brisbane’s future main stadium is starting to take shape, with three key design decisions now settled.
The new venue will sit in Victoria Park near Gilchrist Avenue. It will feature an MCG-sized field and an east-west field orientation.
Fresh renders have also been released as the early concept design moves forward.
The stadium is planned to host the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. After that, it will serve as the city’s main stadium.
Why it matters?
The latest decisions go beyond appearance. They affect transport, operations and long-term use.
The Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) says the chosen site will connect well with existing transport and fit into the park’s natural landform. It also says the position will help reduce congestion where major spectator entry points meet.
The field orientation was chosen after workshops with AFL and cricket stakeholders and analysis of sun and wind conditions. GIICA says this layout better suits event-day operations and avoids the need for a second media centre for combined AFL and cricket use.
The field size also supports multiple uses. GIICA says it has support from AFL, Cricket Australia, concert promoters and Brisbane 2032.
Local Impact
This project is being pitched as a stadium for Brisbane after 2032, not only during the Games.
The design team says the venue should suit Queensland’s climate and welcome people even on non-event days. The broader aim is a stadium connected to public life, public transport and the surrounding park.
By the numbers
- The design statement refers to a 63,000-seat stadium that will become Brisbane’s long-term main venue.
- The design team reviewed four oval stadiums, the Gabba, Optus Stadium, the MCG and Marvel Stadium, before deciding on field size and shape.
- The venue is part of the $7.1 billion Games Venues Infrastructure Program. Early site preparations are due from 1 June 2026, with early works later in 2026 and construction in 2027.
Zoom in
The concept builds on the winning Queensland response first shared in January. It places the stadium into Victoria Park’s topography with a verandah inspiration, floating roof form and bridge connectivity.
The Design Statement says, “The concept is simple and deliberate: a Stadium in the Landscape.”
It continues, “Rather than placing a 63,000-seat object on top of Victoria Park, the stadium will nestle into the parklands and allow the landform and vegetation to do the work.”
The statement also says, “The stadium bowl sits in a valley between two ridges … Spectators pass through nature and parkland rather than climb toward a monument. The park flows over and around the venue, softening its edge and binding it to the park and forest slopes. It is less a building in a park, but instead a park that flows around and through a stadium.”
It adds, “The design privileges shade, breeze, movement, and everyday access. It is active on event days, but generous and open on all other days. In legacy mode, the Stadium is not an isolated venue but a catalyst for a healthier, more connected city, embedding biodiversity, cultural continuity, and community life at the centre of Brisbane’s Olympic story.”
Zoom out
GIICA CEO Simon Crooks said the design work was showing “a truly Queensland take on the traditional stadium emerge, bringing the outside in and celebrating our lifestyle and natural environment.”
He said, “It is an exciting time for the team here at GIICA, and all of Queensland, as we work through the rigorous design process to bring the stadium vision to life, and later this year start early works and in 2027 construction.”
COX Architecture Director and Chair Richard Coulson said, “It is great to see the vision the design team has shared in January is now being tested and developed with stakeholder input.”
He added, “It retains the ambition of a venue that responds to place with the inclusion of technology that people will expect in a world class venue.”
He also said, “The evolving arrangement of the Stadium in the park will be a key part of unlocking the connectivity of the park with the wider precinct and the city.”
Hassell Managing Principal Lucy O’Driscoll said, “We recognise this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the design of Brisbane Stadium, a venue that will showcase Queensland to the world while truly serving the local community every day.”
She added, “Every element of our design responds to Queensland’s unique climate and lifestyle, ensuring the stadium can accommodate not only global events, but also becomes an enduring part of the state’s daily life and legacy for generations to come.”
What to look for next?
Design refinement will continue over the coming months.
Queenslanders are expected to see the project move from planning into site activity, with early site preparations from 1 June 2026 and early works later that year.