The iconic Gabba, venue of the first Tied Test in 1960, will be demolished after the 2032 Olympics and cricket will move to a new stadium in Brisbane, which will be built for the quadrennial showpiece event.

Queensland’s premier David Crisafulli announced the latest plans for Olympic infrastructure at an event in Brisbane on Tuesday.

When Cricket Australia announced its seven-year venue allocation last year, the Gabba — which hosted its first Test in 1931, against South Africa, that Australia won by an innings and 163 runs — was only guaranteed international cricket until the men’s Ashes this year.

“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.

“We strongly advocated building a stadium in Victoria Park together with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and Brisbane Lions, and cricket will play a major role in ensuring this significant investment delivers long-term benefits for cricket fans and the people
of Queensland.”

Cricket is returning to the Olympics for the 2028 edition in Los Angeles having only previously featured in 1900.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an
Olympic final, the Gabba’s swansong,” Crisafulli said.

“The Gabba is at its end of life,” Crisafulli said. “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.

“It became a choice between spending billions on temporary facilities and temporary stands that delivered no legacy, or securing the future of AFL (and) cricket at a new home.”

Queensland Cricket welcomed the latest plans with the new stadium providing clarity on the future.

“The Gabba has been a wonderful venue for cricket for many years and has provided fans and players with countless memories... however we need to look to the future,” chief executive Terry Svenson said.

“There is now the opportunity for Queensland to attract the world’s best cricket events, such as ICC events, men’s and women’s Ashes Series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, as well as hosting the BBL and WBBL...”