The host city of the 2032 Olympics will be announced in July. The clear favourite is Brisbane, which has already selected the stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Decision on Brisbane's bid expected ahead of Tokyo 2021

In February of this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declared Brisbane as the preferred bid to host the Summer Olympics, which will be held in 11 years' time. Shortly before the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the host of the 2032 Olympics is to be chosen. Australians have already selected The Gabba stadium as the main arena. In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics competitions will be organized there.

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Brisbane Cricket Ground known as The Gabba is located in Woolloongabba, a suburb of Brisbane, approximately 2 kilometres from the business district (CBD). The stadium was established in 1895 and since then it has been used mainly for cricket and Australian rules football. The arena has been modernized many times and the last revamp took place in 2020.

For the 2032 Olympics, the stadium would be completely rebuilt, which would involve the demolition of the facility in its current shape. Other locations for the main Olympic venue were considered, but The Gabba won due to being well connected to the rest of the city.

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Preliminary concept of stadium is ready

Populous has prepared a conceptual design for the arena, but further work will be subject to the positive decision of the IOC in July. It was initially established that the stadium's capacity would be 50,000 seats.

It's 8,000 more than today but on the lowest end of what the IOC expects. It would be one of the smallest facilities in the history of the Summer Olympics, where both of the most important ceremonies took place.

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The stands would have three levels and the lighting would be above the roofline. There are plans to build a square next to the stadium that will connect the facility with the newly built Cross River Rail station. Theoretically, the aforementioned square could serve as a place to decorate Olympic medalists and a spot for organizing music concerts.

The estimated cost of rebuilding The Gabba is A$ 1 billion (€ 640 million). The Queensland state government has voiced support for the investment, as have Australian cricket authorities and the management of Australian rules football.

Most of the city's residents are in favour of building the stadium, as the Olympic Games should generate 130,000 new jobs. For now, the only problem is the fate of the 122-year-old East Brisbane State School, which is located too close to the planned arena. The decision on its future has not yet been made.

Author: Tomasz Sobura

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