For the first time in 50 years, Test cricket will not be played at Brisbane's Gabba during an Australian summer. The Gabba has been left off the 2026-27 schedule amid uncertainty over the venue's future, marking a significant break in the ground's continuous involvement in Australia's Test programme.
Cricket Australia confirmed a packed international schedule bookended by northern Test matches in August and a 150th anniversary celebration Test in March, with four Tests contained within 31 days as Australia face New Zealand. New Zealand will play matches in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney between December 9 and January 8. This concentration of matches represents an extraordinary scheduling challenge, with the men's side playing 10 Tests in 14 weeks between early December and mid-March, shaping up as the most taxing fixture ever handed to an Australian team.
The decision to exclude the Gabba reflects growing concerns about the ground's future. The Queensland government signed only a two-year hosting agreement with Cricket Australia, which means beyond the upcoming India Test and next year's men's Ashes fixture there is great uncertainty when, or if, the famous ground will be back on the schedule. 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 Queensland proceeds with its business.
Queensland Cricket expressed deep disappointment that the 2026-27 Gabba Test became a casualty of the uncertainty around infrastructure planning and development ahead of the 2032 Olympic preparations. The organisation warned that continuing uncertainty could have a significant impact on participation statewide and fan engagement across men's and women's cricket.
There is some light ahead for Brisbane cricket fans. Following a year off in 2026-27, the Gabba would return to the International Test series calendar for another five years from 2027-28 through until 2031-32. The agreement also guarantees the return of the first Test of the summer to Queensland in 2032-33 after the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, after which the Brisbane Heat, Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Lions AFL team will transition to the new Brisbane Stadium at Victoria Park.
The 2026-27 summer itself remains ambitious. Beyond the New Zealand series, Cricket Australia will take Test cricket back to Darwin and to Mackay for the first time with northern Australia providing a fantastic alternative timeslot in the crowded international schedule for the men's series against Bangladesh. CA chief executive Todd Greenberg said the organisation was delighted to release an international schedule that ensures fans across Australia will see brilliant national teams play at many fantastic venues across the country.
For Queensland cricket, the challenge now lies in bridging the gap between the exclusion of the Gabba and its promised return. The absence of Test cricket from Brisbane in 2026-27 breaks a streak that stretches back decades, even as assurances have been given about the venue's place in the longer term.