At a glance
- Parking
- There is no public parking at The Gabba. On event days a 15-minute limit applies across most of the surrounding area, according to the venue
- Travel
- For most ticketed events the ticket includes free travel on Queensland Rail City Network trains and Brisbane City Council buses, not ferries; check Translink for your event
- Bags
- Bags must be smaller than an A3 sheet (30cm by 40cm); larger bags go to a free cloakroom
- Money
- Cashless; cards only at food, drink and merchandise outlets
- Who it’s for
- Anyone going to cricket, AFL or a concert at The Gabba, Woolloongabba
- What to do now
- Read your event’s own page on the venue’s What’s On list first, because the rules below are written for the standard cricket and AFL season
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the venue’s FAQs, Getting Here and Parking pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Rules for one-off events such as concerts, which the venue says are set on each event page
You cannot park at The Gabba. The venue calls itself a public transport destination, applies 15-minute parking limits to most of the surrounding streets on event days, and for most ticketed events includes free travel on Brisbane trains and buses in the ticket.
This guide is built from the venue’s own Frequently Asked Questions, Getting Here and Parking pages, all read on Sunday 8 November 2026. The venue says the FAQs describe the standard cricket and AFL season. For concerts and other one-off events it points to the event listing on its What’s On page, so treat the rules below as the starting point and check your own event. For event-specific guides, see Carreras and Friends on 5 December and the Brisbane Heat’s December home games.
Where is The Gabba, and how big is it?
The Gabba is in Woolloongabba, about 1 km from the Brisbane CBD and 11 km from Brisbane Airport, according to the venue. Its official seating capacity is 42,000, and in concert mode it can host up to 60,000 people. The venue’s office address is Hyundai Centre, Level 5, 812 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, and its phone number is 1300 843 422 (1300 THEGABBA).
Can I park near The Gabba?
No. The venue’s Getting Here page says there is no public parking at The Gabba, and its FAQs say there are no public car parks on event days. Fifteen-minute parking limits apply across most of what the venue calls the Gabba Traffic Area, from 7:00am until 10:00pm on event days, and the venue sends people to the Brisbane City Council website for the restrictions. Residents of the traffic area can apply for a permit that exempts them from the area-wide limits. Road closures are put in place around the ground during and after major events, and the venue asks you to follow Queensland Police, traffic controllers and signs.
| Question | What the venue says |
|---|---|
| Public parking | None |
| Street parking | 15-minute limits across most of the area, 7:00am to 10:00pm on event days |
| Drop-off and pick-up | Designated points on Princess Street, Potts Street and Hubert Street |
| Ride-share drop-off | Potts Street, east of the stadium (FAQs) |
| Taxi rank | Ipswich Road (FAQs) |
| Coaches | Operators must apply for a permit; applications close 3 business days before the event and passes go out 48 hours before |
How do I get there by public transport?
The venue says public transport is the best way to arrive. Its FAQs say your event ticket includes free travel to and from The Gabba on all regular Queensland Rail train services and Brisbane buses, and that City ferries are not included. You must have your event ticket to ride. The Getting Here page is more cautious, telling you to check the Translink website to see whether your pre-purchased ticket allows free travel within the Brisbane City Council area on City Network trains (not Airtrain), Brisbane City Council buses and special event shuttle services, which it says start 2 hours before the event. Free travel is not included for Sheffield Shield matches and other cricket or AFL matches that do not need a ticket.
If you collect your ticket at the venue on the day, you are only entitled to a free return journey, according to the FAQs. The Woolloongabba bus station is next to Gate 2, and the venue lists a number of other bus stops nearby.
Is there a free shuttle bus?
On major event days, the venue’s Parking page says free shuttle buses run from Brisbane City, Carindale, Chermside and Eight Mile Plains, and tells you to check Translink for timings. The venue does not give times or stops on its own pages, so use Translink’s event page for your game or concert. For help planning a trip, the venue lists Translink’s number, 13 12 30.
What is the path to Woolloongabba station on event days?
The Getting Here page carries a note about the station. For major events, access to Main Street is by footpaths from platform 1 and platform 2. At all other times, access to Main Street is from platform 1 only, because the footpath between platform 2 and Main Street is closed for Cross River Rail construction. A pedestrian overpass with lift and stair access is also available.
What food and drink can I bring in?
The FAQs allow homemade food in a container other than glass, water in a bottle with an unbroken factory seal of up to 1.25L, and tea or coffee in a thermos. Other liquids are not permitted. You can also bring an empty water bottle and fill it at the designated water stations inside. Food and drink from commercial outlets cannot be brought in, and alcohol cannot be brought in because of the venue’s liquor licence. Patrons in corporate areas cannot bring in any food or drink and are asked to discard it before entry. Thermoses may be checked by security.
| Item | Allowed? | Detail from the venue |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade food | Yes | In a container other than glass |
| Sealed water | Yes | Unbroken factory seal, up to 1.25L |
| Tea or coffee | Yes | In a thermos; may be checked |
| Takeaway from commercial outlets | No | Not permitted |
| Alcohol | No | Condition of the liquor licence |
| Aerosol sunscreen | No | Pump bottles and tubes are allowed |
What size bag can I bring?
The venue encourages ticketed guests not to bring bags, for speed of entry, but allows bags smaller than an A3 sheet of paper (30cm by 40cm). Larger bags are not permitted on entry, and free cloaking facilities are at the Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 7 and Gate 9 Match Day Offices, plus Gate 5 for Gabba members only. Soft eskies are allowed if they fit under your seat and within 40cm by 40cm by 40cm, and soft gel packs are allowed but hard packs and bricks are not. Hard eskies are not allowed. Patrons may be wanded and have their bags checked before entry.
What else is banned, and what is allowed?
- Cameras: commercial cameras, video recorders, audio recorders, tripods and monopods are not permitted. Patrons also cannot photograph or film identifiable people without their consent, and cannot broadcast or sell recordings of the event.
- Flags and banners: allowed if they carry no offensive wording or political messages, no larger than 1.5m by 1.5m, with poles no thicker than 2cm.
- Umbrellas: allowed in the venue but they cannot be raised, because they block other people’s view. The venue suggests a jacket or poncho.
- Prams: the venue encourages you to leave them at home. If you bring one it must collapse and fit under your seat or within your group’s seats, and it cannot be left in aisles or walkways.
- Smoking: The Gabba is smoke-free, including e-cigarettes. Keep your ticket for scanning when you leave and come back.
- Medical items: if you need to bring something on the prohibited list for medical reasons, contact the venue on 1300 843 422 or at info@thegabba.com.au before the event.
The venue’s full list of permitted and prohibited items is in its Conditions of Entry, which we have not reproduced here.
Can I leave and come back, and can I pay with cash?
Pass-outs are permitted, with your ticket scanned on exit and re-entry. The Gabba is cashless, and credit and debit cards are the only payment option at food, beverage and merchandise outlets. Your entry gate is printed on your ticket, and the venue’s stadium map shows gate locations, transport information and drop-off zones.
Where do accessible visitors go?
The venue’s pages disagree slightly on accessible parking, so check before you travel. The FAQs say there is no accessible parking at The Gabba, only an accessibility drop-off point on Duke Street opposite Gate 5. The Getting Here and Parking pages say the drop-off is near Gate 5 on Linton Street (near Duke Street), and that limited accessible parking is available across from Gate 5 on Duke Street for people with a disability parking permit, first come, first served. Accessible seating is in areas reached without stairs or by lift, accessible toilets are throughout the ground, and the staff at your gate will show the best route to your seat. Tickets go through the event’s ticket seller; for cricket the FAQs give Ticketek’s special needs line as 1300 665 915 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEDT), and for AFL, Ticketmaster’s accessible line as 1300 446 925.
Which tickets are real, and what if it rains?
The FAQs say AFL tickets should only be bought through Ticketmaster and cricket tickets only through Ticketek, and that The Gabba has no obligation to honour tickets from unauthorised resellers. The ground is open-air, so an event may be delayed in bad weather, a decision made by the club or promoter. The venue says to check its Facebook page for updates. The Gabba is not currently offering public tours.
Sources
- The Gabba: Frequently Asked Questions (read 8 November 2026)
- The Gabba: Getting Here (read 8 November 2026)
- The Gabba: Parking (read 8 November 2026)
- Translink: Event transport (13 12 30)
Featured image: The Gabba during a Test match in November 2012 (photo: Rae Allen / CC BY 2.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with The Gabba, Stadiums Queensland, Translink, Ticketek or Ticketmaster. Rules can change; check the venue’s event page and Translink before you leave.