Further upgrades to Caxton Street and Suncorp Stadium have been flagged by the Queensland premier, as the state locks in the NRL Magic Round until the Olympic Games.
David Crisafulli spoke alongside Peter V’landys in front of the Brisbane venue on Friday afternoon, but both declined to say how much money had changed hands to secure the event’s future.
“This was never about money,” the premier said.
“This wasn’t a bidding war. This wasn’t pressure from them, despite the sharks circling from throughout the country. This was always about two partners coming together.”
Crisafulli – who was swamped by NRL fans seeking selfies as the press conference wrapped up – confirmed he was in discussions with Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner about upgrades to nearby Caxton Street.
The strip is a cultural hub for NRL fans, and its venues pack out before most games.
“It’s something we’re working well with the council on … I’ve spoken to Adrian directly about that,” the premier said.
“It’s about greater activation and also some improvements year round.”
He added in addition to new seats at Suncorp Stadium, he was pursuing higher-quality replay screens and activation of the entrance areas alongside a wider upgrade of the venue.
“There’s some good stuff happening,” Crisafulli said.
“I love this place, I think it’s a world-class venue, and I want people to know that what we’ll do to this won’t change the heart and soul of what is a cauldron, and what is the best rectangular stadium in the country.”
Brisbane City Council announced in 2025 it was installing programmable lights able to match team colours over Caxton Street.
The NRL also announced that year it was set to transform the Beetson Hotel – formerly Gambaro Seafood Restaurant – into the “best sports bar in Australia”, with an IMAX-like screen for live broadcasts of games.
V’landys said on Friday multiple states and other countries had made bids to take Magic Round off Brisbane. He added the city could continue to host beyond 2032 when the current agreement ended.
Under the new format, the event will go for five days and Brisbane will host a business forum alongside the back-to-back rugby league games.
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