NRL Magic Round 2025: Record event reinforces Brisbane’s credentials

Brisbane is basking in a magical afterglow after the weekend’s NRL Magic Round broke its own all-time attendance record.

New Zealand NRL fans Laura Abel and Ollie Sowman in Caxton St during Magic Round. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Brisbane is basking in a magical afterglow after the weekend’s NRL Magic Round broke its own all-time attendance record.

Almost 150,000 spectators attended Magic Round across the three days, just surpassing the previous record of 149,196 which was set last year.

With the festival of football locked in at Suncorp Stadium for a further two years, organisers will now turn to possible expansion for the concept which has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2019.

Data on the economic impact of this year’s Magic Round is yet to be finalised, but it is estimated the figure will be higher than last year’s benchmark of $50 million, in a further signal of how vital the event has become to the Brisbane economy.

Darshnakaur Bhathal, owner-manager of the Garlic Clove Kitchen & Bar down the road from Suncorp Stadium, said Magic Round was as good as Christmas for local businesses.

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“It just keeps getting better and better - trade every day is breaking records of revenue for I am sure everyone including us at Garlic Clove Kitchen & Bar,” she said.

“From breakfast to dinner all the services did well and there were happy faces everywhere.

“We could not be more grateful and thankful for the whole weekend.”

Sudhir Shetty from Tiger Eye at the Barracks just across the road from the legendary Caxton Street said they were celebrating after an “epic Magic Round”.

If, as expected, the Perth Bears are admitted into the NRL competition in 2027 as the league’s 18th team, that would potentially add an extra game to the weekend, with mayors from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and City of Moreton Bay all expressing a desire to grab a slice of the action.

Gather Round, the AFL’s answer to Magic Round, is predominantly based at the Adelaide Oval, but takes several matches to boutique stadiums across the region and there would be scope to do something similar in southeast Queensland in the event of future expansion.

Originally published as NRL Magic Round 2025: Record event reinforces Brisbane’s credentials