RNA offers up Ekka arena as home for Lions, cricket during Gabba construction

Having lost the revenue of two Royal Queensland Shows thanks to the pandemic, the RNA has put its hand up to host professional cricket and AFL matches while the Gabba gets its Olympic facelift.

During more than 100 years of history, the Main Arena at the Brisbane Showgrounds has hosted Sir Donald Bradman’s Test cricket debut, as well as football, rugby, lacrosse, athletics and cycling.

The RNA has offered to host cricket and AFL matches while the Gabba is being redeveloped for the 2032 Olympics.Credit: Bradley Kanaris

The Ekka’s cancellation in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 threat has cost the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland an estimated $4 million in lost revenue.

With the showgrounds to be upgraded for Olympic equestrian events, RNA chief executive Brendan Christou said if that work was completed before the Gabba renovation, he believed the Main Arena could host displaced AFL and cricket.

But Mr Christou said he had no timeline from the state government on the planned upgrades to the Main Arena.

“We need to stage the construction in between Ekkas and in the lead-up to the Olympics. We will also have to manage it around our existing events business, but we’re used to that,” he said.

A redeveloped Gabba will be the main stadium for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.Credit: Queensland government

“Hopefully sooner rather than later we can get into the design phase for the renovations.

“The Main Arena isn’t up to the standards of hosting AFL or cricket or other professional sports at the moment. It doesn’t have any of the features of modern sporting arenas.

“If it was possible that the Main Arena here could be upgraded before the renovations to the Gabba, it could be used as an alternative.

“But that will be a matter for the state government and the Olympics delivery authority.”

A concept image of The Gabba as an Olympic athletics venue.Credit: Queensland Government

A spokesman for state Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said a decision had not yet been made on whether the Gabba upgrade or that of the Brisbane Showgrounds would be done first.

The state government has confirmed the Brisbane Showgrounds would host Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events. No further details of the planned Main Arena upgrades have been released.

Other possible replacement venues during the Gabba overhaul include Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast for the Brisbane Lions’ AFL home games.

Allan Border Field in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Albion could host the Queensland Bulls’ cricket matches, in place of the Gabba.

The Gabba will be “essentially demolished”, according to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, as part of plans to redevelop and lift the stadium for the 2032 Olympic Games.

Ms Palaszczuk said in April the Gabba – which has been home to Queensland sport, including cricket and AFL, for 126 years – would host the opening and closing ceremonies.

The upgrade to the Woolloongabba stadium would increase its capacity from 42,000 to about 50,000 at an estimated cost of about $1 billion.

The renovations would also include a new pedestrian plaza linking the stadium to the Cross River Rail station, which is currently under construction.