Major Construction Starts at Bowen Hills Showgrounds After Ekka
Construction is set to begin next month on a massive $287.5 million overhaul of the Brisbane Showgrounds. The project will transform the Bowen Hills precinct ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
According to The Urban Developer, the Queensland Government and the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) are delivering the upgrade. Demolition of the existing Machinery Hill grandstand and enabling infrastructure is scheduled to run from August 8 to 16.
What the Overhaul Includes
The heart of the project is a redevelopment of the 20,000-seat main arena. The plan also includes a new Machinery Hill grandstand, a new horse pavilion, and accessibility upgrades across the site. Hutchinson Builders has been appointed to deliver the works.
The RNA confirmed the Ekka will continue to operate at the Brisbane Showgrounds during construction, except for 2032 when the site will be integrated into the Olympic and Paralympic Games precinct. This follows earlier works completed in 2025, which included the restoration of the heritage-listed Ernest Baynes and John MacDonald grandstands.
A Home for the Athletes
The showgrounds will host the Brisbane 2032 Athletes Village, planned to accommodate thousands of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and officials. Following the Games, the village will be repurposed into a mixed-use residential precinct, adding new housing to the inner-city Bowen Hills urban renewal area.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the redevelopment would secure the long-term future of the Ekka while expanding the precinct’s role as a major events destination. “This is about securing the future of an iconic Queensland institution while creating a world-class precinct for events, entertainment and inner-city living,” Bleijie said.
Long-Term Vision for the Precinct
RNA chief executive Brendan Christou said the investment would ensure the Ekka remained at its birthplace while strengthening the precinct’s capacity to host major events. “As Queenslanders celebrate 150 years of Ekka this year, this announcement ensures that our iconic and beloved show remains here, at its birthplace, for another 150 years,” Christou said.
The upgraded main arena is expected to increase the precinct’s capacity to attract concerts, sporting events and major exhibitions outside the annual Ekka. The showgrounds project forms part of the Queensland Government’s $3.5 billion athlete villages program for the Brisbane 2032 Games.
Together with nearby transport upgrades, Victoria Park Stadium and urban renewal initiatives around the Cross River Rail precinct, the redevelopment is expected to reshape one of the city’s fastest-growing mixed-use precincts.
