The Gabba — Attraction in Brisbane City

Full Name : Brisbane Cricket Ground Nickname : The Gabba Location : Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The Gabba is one of Australia’s most iconic sporting venues, particularly known for cricket and Australian Rules Football (AFL). It has hosted numerous high-profile events and is the primary venue for Brisbane's professional teams in both cricket and AFL. While its origins lie in cricket, it has evolved into a multi-purpose stadium with a rich history and strong fan following.

The Gabba was established in 1895 and is one of Australia's oldest sports venues. The ground was initially used for cricket but expanded in the 1950s to accommodate Australian Rules Football (AFL) after the establishment of the Brisbane Bears (now the Brisbane Lions).

Over the years, the stadium has undergone several renovations and upgrades, with the most significant ones occurring in the 1990s and 2000s, when the stadium was transformed into a modern, multi-use facility.

The Gabba underwent a major redevelopment in the late 1990s to improve seating capacity, facilities, and accessibility. This redevelopment also led to the addition of a new, steep grandstand which is one of the stadium's signature features.

The stadium's steep grandstands help create an intimidating atmosphere for players, particularly during cricket and AFL games, with fans sitting close to the action.

The Gabba is renowned for its role in Australian Test cricket. It is known for having one of the most challenging pitches for batters, with a reputation for fast, bouncy wickets that benefit pace bowlers. The Gabba traditionally hosts the first Test match of the Australian summer, part of the Ashes series or other international fixtures.

The Gabba hosted its first Test match in 1931 against New Zealand. The Gabba has witnessed several remarkable performances by players such as Sir Donald Bradman, Shane Warne, and Mitchell Johnson.

The Gabba is the home ground for the Brisbane Lions AFL team. The steep stands and compact design create a unique environment for the Australian Rules Football code. It has also hosted AFL finals matches and serves as a regular venue for major AFL events in Brisbane. The team has used the Gabba since the 1990s, making it one of the most recognizable AFL venues in Australia.

While it is primarily used for cricket and AFL, the Gabba has hosted a variety of other events, such as: High-profile musical acts have performed at The Gabba, including international superstars like U2 and The Rolling Stones. The stadium has also been used for international rugby union and rugby league matches, though these events are less frequent.

The Gabba's stands are steep and close to the action, giving fans a more intimate view of the game. This design is especially favorable for cricket, as it creates a dynamic atmosphere.

The stadium boasts modern media and corporate facilities, making it an ideal venue for international events.

The Gabba is equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, enabling night-time matches, especially for AFL games and evening cricket matches (such as T20s).

The venue has been extensively upgraded to provide modern player facilities, including locker rooms, training areas, and lounges.

The Gabba is particularly famous for its role in the Ashes series. The 2010-2011 Ashes series was a highlight, with Australia defeating England in a thrilling Test match. The Brisbane Lions, after moving to the Gabba in the 1990s, have become a dominant force in the AFL. The venue saw their historic premiership victories in 2001, 2002, and 2003. The Gabba has hosted several World Cup matches, including those during the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

The Gabba is well-serviced by public transport, including bus and train services. The Woolloongabba bus station is nearby, and the South Bank Railway Station is about a 20-minute walk from the venue. The stadium offers limited parking on-site. Additional parking is available in surrounding areas, and fans are encouraged to use public transport for major events.

The Gabba...

SUPER FAMOUS SPORTS STADIUM ! The land on which the ground sits was set aside for use as a cricket ground in 1895 and the first match was held on the site on 19 December 1896. The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. The nickname Gabba derives from the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located. Over the years The Gabba has hosted athletics, Australian rules football, baseball, concerts, cricket, cycling, rugby league, rugby union, Association football and pony and greyhound racing. At present it serves as the home ground for the Queensland Bulls in domestic cricket, the Brisbane Heat of the Big Bash League and Women's Big Bash League and the Brisbane Lions of the Australian Football League. The Gabba will be the centrepiece of the 2032 Summer Olympics and will be upgraded for the games. Between 1993 and 2005, the Gabba was redeveloped in six stages at a cost of $128,000,000. The dimensions of the playing field are now 170.6 metres (560 feet) (east-west) by 149.9 metres (492 feet) (north-south) to accommodate the playing of Australian rules football at elite level. The seating capacity of the ground was 42,000 in 2010 which has been reduced in recent times due to new electronic scoreboards and corporate facilities. For international cricket matches, the capacity is reduced to 36,000 due to new scoreboards and the addition of a pool deck, as well as wider sight screens. For AFL matches the capacity is slightly larger at 37,478. The capacity will increase to 50,000 for the 2032 Olympics. THOSE ARE THE FACTS ! Being a born and bred Queenslander it was almost impossible not to follow the cricket and rugby league while growing up. I remember as a kid watching the Sheffield Shield interstate matches at The Gabba on TV...black & white in those days because Australia didn't introduce color TV until 1975. One of my earliest memories of actually see The Gabba ( Brisbane Cricket Ground ) was when my Dad used to take me to lunch at the Morrison Hotel just up the road. Another great early memory was with my mates in 1972 when the famous English bands Status Quo, Slade, Lindisfarne and Caravan put on a massive concert. Slade stole the show ! In fact around the mid 70's I worked at a famous furniture store at the Fiveways ( an intersection where 5 streets converged ) in Woolloongabba ( The Gabba ). For many years it was pretty much just cricket which was played at The Gabba....local stuff, Sheffield Shield, international test matches and one day stuff. I remember the incredible Sir Vivian Richards playing for the Queensland team one season......one of the greatest cricketers of all time ! In fact the highly esteemed Lord Mayor of Brisbane Clem Jones was at one point the ground curator of the The Gabba. Eventually Aussie Rules was played at the Gabba and still is today..plus cricket and a few more sports. The last memory I have of being at The Gabba was in the mid 90's when I attended a corporate event to see the Brisbane Lions play the Collingwood Magpies. It was a very entertaining game but not growing up on Australian Rules ( Aussie Rules ) it was a bit lost on me. Afterwards we had a drink and shot some snooker upstairs. So if you find yourself in Brisbane, Queensland sometime in the future make sure you see a game...

I attended a Brisbane Lions game last night at the Gabba. We arrived at the game by bus at the Gabba bus station. This is by far the easiest way to get there on time. Not sure how congested the streets were for traffic but the public transport was free because it is included in the ticket price. A short walk from the bus stop and we were in our section searching for seats. The ticket also gives free public transport home again - so very good value.

We had tickets for the cheapest area where seats are just $27. Seats were unallocated so it was a case of first-in best dressed. We were early enough to get good seats just 5 rows back from the fence but there were some cheeky individuals who strolled in 5 minutes before play started and found good seats too.

Seating was comfortable. The venue was well managed with helpful, almost friendly, attendants and alert-looking security guards.

The rise in the height of the seats from the pitch is fairly gradual so the view of the action has the potential to be limited by taller patrons sitting immediately in front of you. I am fairly tall myself so this was less of a hindrance to me. Still, when the 'taller' patrons in front of us left the view of the action increased perceptibly.

We decided not to partake in the on-site cups of beer and warm pies, instead making the most of a local hotel half a block from the entrance. A mighty effort and fine atmosphere here, but this is subject for a different review.

The crowd numbers were slightly lower than I expected with just 20,000 fans making it to the game. A local vs local team might have brought more patrons in and I expect the atmosphere would have benefited from slightly more rigorous support of the players.

Nevertheless it was an enjoyable evening of competitive sport. I think we did quite well for the price but we certainly benefited from...