Brisbane Showgrounds

Celebrating the site’s history while readying it for the future 

The project includes upgrades and accessibility improvements to the existing 20,000-seat Main Arena, a new Machinery Hill grandstand and a new multi-story Horse Pavilion.  

It forms part of the AU$287.5 million redevelopment of the Bowen Hills precinct ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  In 2032, the greater showgrounds precinct will serve as the Brisbane Athletes Village. 

Currently home to the city’s annual “Ekka” exhibition, the Showground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA), which has partnered with Lendlease to deliver the redevelopment being constructed by Hutchson Builders.  

The festivalisation of the Showgrounds 

There is a multi-generational love for the heritage of the site, which the new design protects and amplifies.   

The Main Arena façade takes inspiration from the heritage brickwork and arches found throughout the original structure and which are applied to the new space in a contemporary way to create a textured, robust and durable outcome.  The venue, which is aiming for a Five Star Green Star rating, will be connected to Country and will be of place through landscaping that includes local Australian flora.    

The Main Arena upgrade will secure a brighter future for events such as the Ekka and enhance the precinct’s entertainment capability for decades to come.  A new Level 2 hospitality deck will also host events and promote the festivalisation of the site. 

The Ekka, which will continue during construction of the new facilities, has been running since 1876 and is Queensland’s largest annual event, welcoming an average of 400,000 visitors each August.  It is also an iconic sporting venue having been the location of Brisbane’s first Ashes match, marking the Test debut of legendary Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman in 1928. 

As part of the project, Populous is re-ovalizing the field of play to allow Australian Football League (AFL) and cricket matches to be played on the oval. 

The three key design drivers informing the design include: 

1. creating equitable and seamless access throughout the venue and connecting into the broader Olympic Village
2. increasing overall venue capacity, and
3. optimizing the stable capacity for equestrian activity. 

“The upgraded Main Arena will strengthen the Showgrounds as a destination for major events, entertainment and community life, while allowing us to welcome the world during the Games, and ensure the Ekka remains at the heart of the site for generations to come.” – RNA CEO Brendan Christou 

Detailed crowd modelling has been undertaken by DC Partnership, working with Populous to understand how the venue will perform during different activities such as the Ekka Night Show fireworks and Grand Parade, large-scale live music festivals with multi-stage events that have the potential to go beyond 30,000 people site-wide, and for universal access over defined multi-hour windows during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.