Plans For New Brisbane Arena Reportedly On The Chopping Block
In addition to sports, Brisbane Arena, with its 17,000 seats, would provide a fresh space to host artists like Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and more.
Kraftwerk @ Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (Credit: Kelsey Doyle)
Plans for a new arena in Brisbane are reportedly at risk of being axed.
The Courier Mail reports that the new venue, currently tentatively named Brisbane Arena, might not be built. The state government is reportedly considering halting work on the venue and asking the federal government to re-allocate $2.5 billion set aside for it.
Talks of Brisbane Arena began in 2016, years before the state government and local councils started considering the city for hosting the 2032 Olympic Games. The talks were led by Harvey Lister’s AEG Ogden, which now exists as part of ASM Global.
In 2021, the federal government agreed to allocate $2.5 billion to fund the building of the arena.
The state government is reportedly considering axing the venue to reduce costs for the Olympic and Paralympic Games infrastructure. This move would reportedly allow the state to keep costs within the existing $7.1 billion funding envelope.
The new arena precinct was set to be located between Roma Street and Albert Street, with the possibility of linking to the railway station and Roma Street Parkland. In March 2024, however, former Queensland Premier Steven Miles announced the venue would be moved to Roma Street Parkland rather than be constructed atop the Roma Street railway station.
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In addition to sports, Brisbane Arena, with its 17,000 seats, would provide a fresh space to host artists like Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and more. The venue has something else going for it, too: it’s set to be located in the inner-city.
At the time of publication, the venue has reportedly been proposed to sit on the former 4,500 square metre Goprint Site in Woolloongabba, across from Gabba Stadium, making for a set-up akin to the multi-purpose Melbourne & Olympic Parks, which has been described as “Australia’s heart of sports and entertainment.”
In June 2023, it was predicted that Brisbane Arena would attract up to $2.5 billion in real Gross Regional Product over 2026-2048, and $90 million in investment every year.
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