Qld government reveals the cost of upgrading Brisbane's RNA showgrounds

Queensland government says Brisbane's RNA showgrounds upgrade to cost almost $300m Wed 5 Aug 2026 at 1:11pm In short: Upgrades to Brisbane's RNA showgrounds ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games are set to cost $278.5 million dollars. The upgrade is being funded as part of a $3.5 billion investment into athletes' villages. What's next? Construction at the site is set to start after this year's Ekka. The state government is splashing almost $300 million dollars to upgrade Brisbane's RNA showgrounds ahead of the 2032 Games. The 20,000-seat outdoor arena will be revitalised, including an upgraded Machinery Hill grandstand, multi-storey horse pavilion, and major accessibility improvements. Construction on the Bowen Hills site will begin after this year's 150th edition of the Ekka, with the event to run uninterrupted until 2032. The state government has previously refused to reveal the cost of the upgrades, citing it as commercial in confidence. Deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie today claimed it had been brought in on budget. "As I said a year ago, we were going to ensure things were going to be done on time and on budget," he said. "I'm delighted to say that the $287.5 million was what was requested by the RNA. "It is being delivered and contracted with Hutchinson Builders." Loading...The showgrounds upgrade is funded as part of the $3.5 billion investment into athletes' villages for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. A 2,000-unit village will overlook the arena, housing up to 10,000 athletes during the Games, to then be converted to housing. Construction at the site last year marked the first works for any Olympic infrastructure, including restoration to two of the heritage listed grandstands. Accessibility improvements RNA chief executive Brendan Christou said the upgrades would be vital to ensure the Ekka could continue for a further 150 years, particularly through accessibility. "What our smart designers have done is create accessible pathways from the very high levels up on Brookes Street and O'Connell Terrace, right down to the main arena level, with multiple accessible pathways. "That's going to be important for obviously the Paralympic athletes who are going to be housed up there in the new accommodation, but also for legacy." With a decreased amount of space available, he highlighted the innovation involved in the latest construction. "Whilst the footprint has shrunk a little bit, we've actually gone vertical to create the same amount of square meters in event space," Mr Christou said. "So the horse stables that currently exists that are in very poor condition, will be replaced by a multi-storey facility to house those horses." The RNA announcement follows the weekend release of the Victoria Park masterplan, with two pedestrian bridges to link the Brisbane Stadium with the CBD and National Aquatic Centre. The government was also tight-lipped on costs for the infrastructure, with the bridges and park development funds kept separate from the main $7.1 billion venues funding envelope.