Iconic stadium where bikini-clad fans watched from a swimming pool to be DEMOLISHED with £1.4bn plan sparking protests

HUGE PROTESTS have taken place in Australia as one of the world’s most iconic cricket grounds is set to be demolished.

The 42,000-capacity Brisbane Cricket Ground, more commonly known as The Gabba, is set to be knocked to the ground in 2025 after the Ashes Test.

A major rebuild of the stadium will then take place ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The renovation of The Gabba, where bikini-clad fans famously watched the Ashes action from a swimming a pool in 2017, will cost £1.4BN.

Queensland’s Palaszczuk government has committed that amount to the project to ensure that it is the centrepiece of the Games.

The current capacity will be increased to 50,000 while it will also be able to house 80,000 for concerts and similar events.

But the four-year rebuild will see the Brisbane Lions AFL team and the Brisbane Heat T20 side go homeless.

Queensland’s government have announced they will contribute £24m to create a temporary 20,000-seater stadium at Brisbane’s Showgrounds.

They have now requested that the £47.6m needed for that should be split between Brisbane city council, AFL and cricket authorities and the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland.

However, following this week’s announcements, hundreds of fuming fans gathered outside of The Gabba stadium to protest against the demolition.

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Deputy Premier Steven Miles has already unveiled the new stadium plans, which will see the iconic stadium potentially rebranded as the East Bank.

But the protesters called on Queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk to rethink the move, saying that the billions of dollars being used should instead be put towards the state’s housing and cost of living problems.

The ageing Gabba has suffered a number of issues in recent years.

There were farcical scenes in March 2022 when the AFL clash between Brisbane and Melbourne was forced to stop after the lights went out.

And similar power outages have also hit various cricket matches staged there in recent years.