A new 63,000-seat stadium, National Aquatic Centre and extensive public parkland are planned for Victoria Park, but for Fortitude Valley the draft vision also reveals something closer to home: stronger connections between the Valley and the emerging precinct.
The Queensland Government’s Victoria Park Precinct Draft Legacy Plan looks well beyond the venues needed for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, setting out how people could move between Victoria Park and surrounding parts of inner Brisbane in the decades that follow.
Fortitude Valley features prominently in that picture. The plan identifies the suburb as a night-time economy hub and extension of the city centre, with new and improved connections proposed between the Valley and the precinct.
A new arrival point from the Valley
The draft identifies a Fortitude Valley arrival plaza around the heritage substation on Gregory Terrace, creating a proposed eastern arrival point for the precinct.
It forms part of a broader attempt to make Victoria Park easier to reach on foot, by bicycle and by public transport, while reducing reliance on private vehicles.
Fortitude Valley railway station is identified among the major stations serving the wider precinct, alongside Exhibition, Bowen Hills and Roma Street. Cross River Rail is also expected to improve connectivity across the wider South East Queensland network.
The draft explores further pedestrian and cycling connections across the rail corridor and Inner City Bypass, including a potential eastern connector bridge. These links remain under investigation and are not yet confirmed projects.
The major venues themselves sit outside Fortitude Valley, but the draft treats the suburb as one of the key surrounding destinations connected to the precinct.
A 63,000-seat stadium changes the scale of events nearby
At the centre of the transformation would be Brisbane Stadium, planned for up to 63,000 spectators for sport and as many as 70,000 for concerts.
It is intended to become the future home of the Brisbane Lions, Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls, as well as hosting international cricket and major events.
During Brisbane 2032, the stadium is slated to host the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies, along with athletics and Para athletics.
For Fortitude Valley, the significance goes beyond having another major venue nearby. The Government’s own planning identifies the Valley’s night-time economy as part of the wider precinct context, placing its established dining, nightlife and entertainment economy close to a major new destination for sport and concerts.
The Showgrounds form the other side of the picture
The transformation also takes in Brisbane Showgrounds, immediately north of Fortitude Valley.
An Athletes Village planned for the Showgrounds would accommodate more than 10,000 athletes and officials during the Olympics and more than 5,000 during the Paralympics, before the apartments are converted into permanent housing.
The Main Arena is also proposed for a substantial upgrade to 20,000 seats.
Together with the nearby stadium and National Aquatic Centre, the changes would concentrate several major sporting, entertainment and residential developments around the northern edge of the Valley.
Most of Victoria Park remains public green space
Despite the scale of the venue development, around two-thirds of Victoria Park is proposed to remain green and publicly accessible.
Plans include an urban forest, expanded wetlands at York’s Hollow, new paths and public spaces, with Victoria Park intended to remain free and open to the public year-round.
The final Legacy Plan is expected in 2027, with pre-Games construction scheduled for completion in 2031 and conversion to permanent post-Games uses beginning from late 2032.
Community consultation on the draft is open until 5pm on 27 September 2026.
For Fortitude Valley, the connection is unusually direct: the draft links the suburb to the precinct through rail, active transport and a proposed arrival plaza, while also recognising the Valley’s role as Brisbane’s established night-time economy hub.
Published 10-Aug-2026
