Australian rugby league’s NRL has confirmed that its annual ‘Magic Round’ special event will remain in Brisbane, Queensland, for the foreseeable future, after striking a new hosting agreement with that state's legislature.
Brisbane’s 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium will remain the host venue of the Magic Round – in which all of that week’s fixtures are played at the same location – through the 2032 campaign.
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A trio of other Australian states, namely New South Wales, Western Australia, and South Australia, had fought to prize the coveted fixture slot from Queensland, as had New Zealand, which was reportedly willing to pay as much as A$8 million (US$5.7 million) to take over hosting rights.
However, the Queensland government lobbied hard to retain the event, which it has hosted since its inaugural edition in 2019, and will now seek to turn the annual showcase into a week-long festival of rugby with more fixtures, more participating teams (the league will expand from 17 teams to 19 by 2028), and additional events such as the regional-level Premiers Cup Junior Carnival.
This new six-year agreement will also come with a mandate to expand the fan experience around the Magic Round, with enhanced activations and fanzones across Brisbane.
The Queensland government will also capitalize on the opportunity to host an annual tourism showcase and other industry events in concert with the Magic Round.
Speaking on the announcement, Peter V'landys, the chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission governing body, explained: “Magic Round has evolved into a major national event with real impact — for tourism, for business engagement, for investment across Queensland and for encouraging participation in rugby league.
“Our focus is to expand on that impact by creating new experiences, showcasing some of the best tourism locations in the world, lifting visitation, creating regional junior football carnivals, and building a calendar of industry, media, and business events that add long-term value to the state.”
This announcement comes after a bumper 2025 for NRL, where the Magic Round contributed to record revenues of AU$845.6 million ($589 million) for the competition.
This record figure, released as part of the Australian Rugby League Commission’s (ARLC) 2025 Annual Report, marks an increase of AU$100.7 million over the previous year's total, enabling a record AU$562.3 million to be distributed across clubs, players, and state bodies.
Broken down, the NRL earned AU$520 million from media, merchandise, and betting rights – up 2% year-over-year (YoY) – while bringing in AU$286.7 million via sponsorship, ticket sales, and government funding for rugby league programs – an increase of 41% YoY.
The 2025 NRL Grand Final averaged 4.55 million Australian viewers – an increase of 34.6% on the previous season-ending game.
