It can be a shame when a once famous stadium closes down. The reasons can vary. Such examples can include financial instability and become abandoned and demolished if they aren't able to keep up with growing technology and crowd levels. Unfortunately, this trend isn't particulary isolated. It seems like more stadiums are closing down. There are numerous examples of this happening.
Lately, it seems likely that The Gabba will be closing it's doors. It's a cricket stadium that exists in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It has played host to plenty of iconic Test moments: The 1960 tie (1st Test against West Indies); Ian Botham's last great Test innings (1st Ashes Test in 1986; he scored 138 and took 3 wickets); Shane Warne's career best (1st Ashes Test in 1994; he took 8-71 in the 2nd innings); Peter Siddle's birthday hat-trick (1st Ashes Test in 2010); India's famous 2021 heist and Shamar Joseph's heroics. There are now major questions over it's future as an international venue.
It was confirmed that Queensland Cricket had only signed a two-year hosting agreement with Cricket Australia (CA), which means beyond the upcoming India Test and next year's men's Ashes fixture, there's great uncertainty when, or if, the famous ground will be back on the schedule.
The Ashes encounter in 2025-26 will be the 49th consecutive season of Test cricket at the Gabba but there will be no half-century with it not having one of the four New Zealand Tests the following year. There are, however, discussions ongoing about white-ball internationals with England due to visit that summer for ODI's and T20I's.
The Gabba is coming towards the end of its viable working life in 2030. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and initially, there had been plans to completely rebuild the venue but that was ditched by the Queensland government due to costs and instead, there is expected to be a renovation along with other stadiums in the city.
While a complete rebuild would have taken the stadium out of commission for a number of years, there's still uncertainty over whether it will be usable during a renovation.
In an open letter, the chair of Queensland Cricket, Kirsten Pike and chief executive, Terry Svenson, outlined the organisation's frustrations and concerns for cricket in the state.
"The State Government's decision to not progress with its commitment to rebuild the Gabba and downgrade its proposed Olympic role has resulted in direct and indirect changes to how we proceed with our business," they wrote.
"It is deeply disappointing that the 2026-27 Gabba Test has become a casualty of the uncertainty around the infrastructure planning and development ahead of the 2032 Olympic preparations, specifically around the Gabba.
"…and while not being unduly alarmist, the potential outcome of this continuing uncertainty could have a significant impact on participation statewide and fan engagement across men's and women's cricket."
Speaking last week, former Australia and Queensland captain, Allan Border, called for a new multipurpose venue to be built in the city.
"It's sad, but they [Cricket Australia] have got to have some certainty, probably over the next four years, if they can use the Gabba or not," he told the Australian. "I'd be knocking down the Gabba and building a new venue from scratch at Victoria Park. A brand new 60,000-seat stadium suits rugby, cricket, Aussie rules and the Olympics and the Gabba becomes housing."
There could be a potential challenger on the horizon with Tasmania having ambitions to host indoor Test cricket in the proposed new Hobart stadium which is set to be ready in 2029. However, CA chair, Mike Baird, said it was hard to envisage a future where Brisbane was not part of the regular Test schedule.
"That's hard to imagine but we have to have the facilities and a ground that supports it," he said. "We want the fans to have the best experience as they come and see the world's best players."
"What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution. We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come."
The Queensland Cricket letter added: "We remain hopeful that Test cricket will return to the Gabba after the summer of 2026-27 despite the current lack of detail and uncertainty surrounding the upgrades to the Gabba."
Queensland does have other smaller international venues. Allan Border Field in Brisbane regularly hosts the women's team and Australia A and the Gold Coast hosted a T20i against West Indies in 2022. In regional Queensland, Mackay is used while Townsville and Cairns hosted the T20i and ODI series, respectively, against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in 2022.
The men's Future Tours Programme has some winter home cricket on Australia's schedule in the coming years which could open the door for venues such as Cairns and Townsville. South Africa are due to visit for ODI's and T20i's in August 2025. Afghanistan have a Test and three T20i's allocated in July 2026, although that seems to be in doubt given CA's current stance on bilateral series with Afghanistan.
Staying in Australia, The WACA closed its doors to hosting big name international matches. This includes when South Africa tour Australia. It only hosts "lesser" big name countries. The WACA (Western Australian Cricket Assciation) exists in Perth.
The big matches featuring top teams now take place at the Perth Sadium. The WACA Ground only host Sheffield Shield Cricket (Australia's 4 day competition) and other domestic league games but the Big Bash League has since shifted to the Perth Stadium.
2017-18 was the last time an Ashes Test was held at the WACA. In 1970, the WACA first hosted a Test match and at this venue, Australia have won 24 of 41 Tests. The WACA is known for it's pace and bounce off the wicket.
It's believed that former fast bowler of Australia, Dennis Lillee, quit his role as president of WACA because he wanted major international matches to stay at the WACA Ground. Unlike the other stadiums in Australia, the WACA doesn't host any other sport other than cricket and so financially it isn't a viable option. Moreover, the stadium has undergone renovations of it's facilities and so was not chosen as a venue when India toured Australia.
Former CA chief executive, James Sutherland, said the new structure for cricket in Western Australia had the support of Cricket Australia.
"The strategy for Australian cricket is all about putting fans first and that's exactly what this move will do," Sutherland said. "It will provide cricket with world-class facilities for patrons and players and further strengthen our position as Australia's favourite sport."
The Sarajevo Bobsleigh and Luge Track was used as a military stronghold during the Yugoslav Wars (1990 - 2001). When Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital city) hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, they built many sporting venues to support the variety of events. At the time, the bobsleigh and luge track was the fastest and steepest in the world at 1 300m.
In 1991, the Olympic venues began to serve a different purpose after the Yugoslav Wars broke out . During the Siege of Sarajevo (1992 - 1996), the bobsleigh and luge track became an artillery stronghold, which ultimately was abandoned after the war.
Today, the track is overgrown by plants and covered in graffiti and bullet holes. Tourists are known to hike through the woods to find the track but it's not advised to do so without a local tour guide.
In 1965, the Houston Astrodome opened as the first dome stadium and biggest indoor space in the world. On opening day, the sold-out crowd, which included U.S.A President, Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, watched a Yankees-Astros baseball game.
In addition to sports, the stadium welcomed many entertainment events, including Elvis Presley, Evel Knievel and Muhammad Ali. It quickly became the third most visited man-made attraction in the U.S.. The buzzing venue suddenly became vacant when the new modern NRG Stadium opened next door in 2002.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated people in New Orleans, the empty Astrodome served as a shelter to 25 000 displaced victims. After that tragedy, the Astrodome has sat empty with it's future still in limbo.
The Avanhard Stadium in Pripyat, Ukraine, was once home to the FC Stroitel Pripyat, a Soviet soccer club made up of a group of local workers. Located in a young and growing city, the stadium could hold 5 000 people.
In 1986, the Chernobyl plant in Pripyat exploded causing all the people living within an 18-mile radius of the plant to relocate. The nuclear explosion made the area completely unlivable due to the high levels of radiation.
The abandoned stadium still stands today though it's structure is crumbling and trees have taken over. The grandstands are easily visible but the field is nearly unrecognisable. Due to the nuclear blast, the area has been unlivable for about 150 years, so the stadium won't be repaired any time soon.
Once the biggest stadium in Czechoslovakia, Stadion za Luzankami was the home to the FC Zbrojovka Brno soccer team since it's opening in 1953. In 2002, the football club left for a new stadium, so Stadion za Luzankami sat vacant for many years.
After years of neglect, plants took over the stands and fields, while people experiencing homelessness started living in the stadium.
Thirteen years after the stadium closed it's doors, a member of the original football club pulled together one last match to serve as a final goodbye to the old stadium. On 27 June 2015, the stadium was restored enough to host the game and welcomed over 35 000 people and plans were made for a new one in it's place but those plans appear to be stalled.
The Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground was built for the 2008 Summer Olympics. When cities are chosen to host the Olympics, they begin constructing huge stadiums to accommodate this worldwide event. The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics were no different.
Chaoyang Park held an Olympic Ferris wheel and the giant beach volleyball court. The court holds 17 000 tons of sand and can fit 12 000 people. After the Olympics ended, the training grounds have been used for a beach festival each year.
Since then, the world-famous beach volleyball court was only used for it's intended purpose once more. In 2012, the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground hosted the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, which is a worldwide professional tour.
Cathkin Park Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland was the home to the Third Lanark football club for 95 years. In it's glory, the stadium held 20 000 fans for it's soccer games. Due to bankruptcy, both the team and the stadium were permanently closed in 1967.
Today, the mostly abandoned stadium is located in a public park where people can still enjoy the open fields. It's not uncommon to see amateur soccer teams playing on the field, where the Third Lanark football club used to play.
Miami Marine Stadium, which was constructed in 1963, hosted everything from powerboat races to Sunday church services and concerts. It seated almost 7 000.
After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the city declared it unsafe and it was closed for good. It went into disrepair and became covered in graffiti; so the city was about to demolish it. This was until notable Miami residents and the National Trust for Historic Preservation rallied to save it.
In 2012, the city approved a plan that would clean up the stadium and in 2018, the city approved $42 million in funding to establish a park around the stadium and to repair it.
An architecture firm was hired and restoration plans were finalised but the bond authorization expired. The city had planned to renovate the Miami Marine Stadium into a concert venue but, by late 2020, Miami officials had refused to disclose detailed plans for the venue.
By 2021, the city of Miami was looking to hire a new advisor to consult on the restoration of the Miami Marine Stadium. City commissioners were expected to vote on a $61.2 million revenue bond financing on 24 February 2022. However, the vote was deferred until late May 2022.
This delay was intended to allow Miami officials to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the renovation. In June 2022, Miami officials further postponed a vote on the bond.
Meanwhile, Miami officials proposed in late 2022 to build a boat ramp, as well as parking space for boat trailers, next to the Miami Marine Stadium. Miami's Planning and Zoning Advisory Board approved the proposal in December 2022, in spite of concerns that the construction of the boat ramp would cause congestion on the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Preservationist group, Dade Heritage Trust, asked city officials to cancel the approval of the boat ramp but Miami city commissioners rejected the request in early 2023. Workers began restoring the Miami Marine Stadium in early 2023, repairing damaged pilings at a cost of $2.4 million.
All stadiums should be multifunctional. Hosting only sporting events can be detrimental. Instances like being war grounds should be avoided. People need to remember that building stadiums can be very costly. When stadiums close, that's a lot of money that's gone down the toilet. Stadiums should be used for more than sporting events. They should be preserved and exist for its purposes for a long, long time.