Brisbane 2032 Olympic venues: the plan so far
A new stadium at Victoria Park, a pool at Spring Hill and rowing in Rockhampton. Where the Brisbane 2032 venue plan stood in October 2026.
Brisbane will host the Olympic Games from 23 July to 8 August 2032, with the Paralympic Games following from 24 August to 5 September. The venue plan has been rewritten more than once since the city won the bid in 2021. This guide describes the plan as it stood in late October 2026, which is built on the Queensland Government's 2032 Delivery Plan of 25 March 2025 and the decisions made since.
How the plan has changed since 2021
Brisbane was confirmed as host on 21 July 2021. The original centrepiece was a rebuilt Gabba, announced in April 2021 at about $1 billion and later costed at $2.7 billion. Brisbane City Council withdrew its support in December 2023.
In early 2024 an independent review led by former Lord Mayor Graham Quirk recommended a new stadium at Victoria Park. The then Labor government rejected that in March 2024 and opted to upgrade the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Nathan for athletics and to use Suncorp Stadium for the ceremonies. The Liberal National Party won the October 2024 state election after campaigning against a new stadium, and the new government ordered a 100-day review.
On 25 March 2025 Premier David Crisafulli announced a new 63,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park after all, inside a $7.1 billion venue program jointly funded with the Australian Government. The Gabba will be demolished after the Games. State legislation exempts the stadium from the usual planning, heritage and environmental laws.
The main stadium at Victoria Park
Brisbane Stadium will sit in Victoria Park, between Herston and Spring Hill, just north of the CBD. The government confirmed a central site near Gilchrist Avenue in March 2026. It will host the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics, then become Brisbane's main oval for the Brisbane Lions, the Brisbane Heat and the Queensland Bulls from 2033. The cost has been widely reported at around $3.6 billion.
Progress in 2026, in order:
- January 2026: a design team of Cox Architecture, Hassell and Japanese firm Azusa Sekkei was appointed.
- 6 May 2026: the federal environment department cleared the stadium and aquatic centre proposal.
- 1 June 2026: the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority, known as GIICA, took possession of the Herston side of the park, and early works by BMD began in August.
- 30 September 2026: a BESIX Watpac and John Holland joint venture was named as the only remaining bidder to build the stadium. As of October 2026 the contract was still being negotiated, with signing expected in early 2027 and main construction due to start that year.
The project still faces opposition. Community groups object to the loss of parkland, and Traditional Owner groups have raised cultural heritage concerns, including applications under federal heritage law. The government says about two thirds of the park will stay as public green space.
The Gabba remains in use until the Games. Under the 2025 agreement with cricket, it keeps hosting Test matches each summer up to 2031-32, and Brisbane is due to host the first Test of the 2032-33 season after the Games.
The National Aquatic Centre
The swimming venue will also be at Victoria Park, next to the Centenary Pool site at Spring Hill, and the heritage-listed parts of the old pool complex are being kept. It is planned to hold up to 25,000 people during the Games with temporary seating, dropping to 8,000 afterwards. It will stage swimming, diving, artistic swimming, water polo and Para swimming, with the Brisbane Aquatic Centre at Chandler in support.
Design concepts by ARM Architecture and NH Architecture, working with Brisbane firm Arkhefield, were released on 23 July 2026. GIICA took over the Spring Hill side of the park, including Centenary Pool, on 1 September 2026, and construction is due to start in 2027. A draft legacy plan for the whole precinct, linking the stadium, the aquatic centre and the athletes village, was put out for public comment in 2026, with a final version expected in 2027.
Main venues across Queensland
The table lists the main venues named in the 2025 plan and later decisions. Several sports, including gymnastics, fencing, surfing and skateboarding, were not yet matched to a venue in the published plan as of October 2026.
| Venue | Location | Planned use | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Stadium | Victoria Park, Brisbane | Ceremonies, athletics | New, early works under way |
| National Aquatic Centre | Spring Hill, Brisbane | Swimming, diving, water polo, Para swimming | New, early works under way |
| Brisbane Showgrounds | Bowen Hills, Brisbane | Athletes village and upgraded main arena | Planned, village to become housing |
| Queensland Tennis Centre | Tennyson, Brisbane | Tennis | New show court and 12 match courts planned |
| Chandler Sporting Precinct | Chandler, Brisbane | Para sport | Upgrade planned |
| Fitzroy River | Rockhampton | Rowing, canoe sprint | Approved by the IOC on 17 September 2026 |
| Toowoomba Showgrounds | Toowoomba | Equestrian | Upgrade planned |
| Barlow Park | Cairns | Football | Upgrade planned |
| Whitsundays and Townsville | North Queensland | Sailing | Confirmed by the state |
| Great Barrier Reef Arena | Mackay | Cricket, with the Gabba | Depends on cricket staying on the program |
Athletes villages are also planned on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, and archery is set for the Wide Bay-Burnett region. Many events will use existing arenas and temporary sites in parks and on beaches.
Rockhampton was the most contested choice. The earlier proposal was a purpose-built course at Wyaralong Dam in the Scenic Rim, which was dropped over cost. The international rowing and canoe bodies backed the Fitzroy River after a technical assessment, though they said several details still had to be settled.
What happens next
The stadium build contract is due in early 2027, with main construction to follow that year. The precinct legacy plan should also be finalised in 2027. Venues for the sports still without a home are yet to be announced, and the program of events for 2032 has not been fully locked in.
For the stadiums you can visit now, see our MCG guide and the Australian sports calendar.
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