A landmark six-year hosting deal means Milton’s Suncorp Stadium will remain the home of NRL Magic Round until at least 2032, locking in the venue as the host of one of the NRL’s most attended annual events.
Read: Suncorp Stadium Stakeholders Push for Upgrade Plan Before Olympic Deadline
For the hundreds of thousands of footy fans who descend on Milton each May, the news is about as good as it gets. Queensland has secured NRL Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium until 2032, guaranteeing the suburb’s famous rectangular ground will continue hosting one of Australia’s biggest annual sporting festivals for the foreseeable future.
Premier David Crisafulli and ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys finalised the multimillion-dollar agreement in May 2026, with a formal announcement timed to coincide with the lead-up to this year’s four-day Suncorp spectacular, which kicks off 14 May with the women’s State of Origin II.
The deal was brokered alongside the Brisbane Economic Development Agency, and it upgrades Queensland’s existing hosting rights, which were due to expire at the end of 2027, with a fresh five-year extension taking the event through to 2032.
Rivals shut out after poaching attempts
The announcement ends what had become an increasingly competitive bidding war. Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand had all been circling, with rival bids understood to have offered north of $8 million to lure the event away from Suncorp. New Zealand, which recently secured a State of Origin fixture at Eden Park in 2027, was identified as among the keenest rivals for the event.
But Queensland held firm. Crisafulli said he had promised Queenslanders he would stare down rival states and get the deal done. He said Queensland and footy coming together produced something special, and that the state was only just getting started with plans to make Magic Round bigger and better than ever.
A festival with serious economic muscle
The numbers back up the enthusiasm. Since Magic Round’s debut in 2019, more than 840,000 fans have passed through the Suncorp turnstiles, including a record 149,326 at last year’s event alone. The event injected an estimated $41 million into the Queensland economy last year, with packed pubs, booked-out hotels and a boost for local businesses across the city reported as flow-on effects.
Cr Adrian Schrinner described Magic Round as rugby league’s version of Christmas for footy fans, and said Brisbane had shown the event should stay in Queensland. He pointed to the economic benefits for businesses across the city, adding that he and the Premier had made clear they wanted Magic Round to stay in Brisbane through to 2032.
Plans to make it even bigger
Under the new agreement, there are ambitions to transform Magic Round into something closer to an Expo-style carnival, expanding its reach beyond Suncorp and potentially taking some fixtures to other parts of Queensland. The NRL will also explore playing premiership games in regional areas as the concept grows.
The timing aligns with the NRL’s own expansion plans. The competition will grow to 18 teams next year when the Perth Bears enter the top flight, adding a ninth game to Magic Round’s schedule. When Papua New Guinea joins the NRL in 2028, the event is expected to extend its promotional reach across the wider Pacific region.
League’s finest give it the tick
V’landys praised Crisafulli’s big-picture thinking and said the NRL was eager to be part of Queensland’s vision for the state. He described the Premier as one of the toughest negotiators he had encountered, adding that Queensland’s strong relationship with the NRL, including its critical support during the COVID crisis, made it a natural long-term partner.
Read: Two Top 4 Sides Bring Massive Finale To Another Awesome Magic Round
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett, who recently arrived in Brisbane ahead of this year’s event, added his voice to the chorus of support. The former Queensland Origin mentor said all the players were genuinely excited about Magic Round, noting that the AFL’s own Gather Round concept was a sign that the NRL was doing something right. Bennett called Suncorp a great venue and said the concept deserved to stay in Queensland, describing the state as the heartland of rugby league.
Published 14-May-2026
