Sunshine Coast Stadium to host 2032 Olympic football as venue update confirmed

The Sunshine Coast Stadium at Bokarina will host Olympic football matches at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics after receiving confirmation of its venue role and a $165 million upgrade commitment to bring the facility to the FIFA Category 1 standard required for the Olympic football program.

The upgrade will add a new covered eastern grandstand extending the stadium's capacity to 22,000, replace the existing open terracing on the western side, install new LED floodlighting to broadcast standard, and reconfigure the field to the specifications required for international football. The upgrade will also significantly improve accessibility and precinct connectivity, with a new pedestrian bridge linking the stadium to the coastal pathway network.

Queensland government venue coordinator Andrew Harding confirmed the Sunshine Coast had been allocated both men's and women's group stage matches and a quarterfinal, generating an estimated 80,000 stadium visits over the Games period. The economic impact to the region of hosting the matches, including visitor accommodation, food, and transport, was modelled at approximately $95 million.

Sunshine Coast Council mayor Rosanna Natoli said the Olympic commitment was validation of the region's growing status as a major events centre. "We have been building toward this for years — the airport expansion, the stadium, the health campus. The Olympics is the moment when the world sees what the Sunshine Coast has become," she said.

The venue upgrade is expected to be complete by 2030, with a test event international football fixture planned for 2031 to validate the facility's operational readiness ahead of the Games.

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