Where to Stay for Brisbane 2032
Brisbane is one of the most accessible and liveable Olympic host cities in the world. Compact, safe, and built around a river, it offers visitors a range of neighbourhoods within minutes of major venues.
Choosing the right area to stay during Brisbane 2032 will depend on your priorities — walkability, luxury, family space, or proximity to stadium events. This guide breaks down each option clearly.
Brisbane 2032 — Independent Coverage
Where to Stay for Brisbane 2032
Brisbane has 46,000 hotel rooms. The Games need 76,000. Here's how to find a base that works — at a price that makes sense.
Last updated 16 June 2026 · By Toby Edmanson
Where should you stay for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics?
Most visitors should base themselves in inner Brisbane — the CBD, South Bank, West End or Fortitude Valley — because the main venues sit within walking or short-rail distance. Fortitude Valley is the best value in the city. Choose the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast only if you're mainly attending coastal events — and book as early as you can, because central rooms go first.
- Best for most visitors: inner Brisbane (CBD, South Bank, West End) — walk or short rail to the main venues.
- Best value: Fortitude Valley, about 15–25% cheaper than the CBD and one stop from the city.
- Coastal events: Gold Coast (~50 min by train) for beach volleyball, triathlon, football preliminaries.
- Rowing: Rockhampton (Fitzroy River) — limited stock, book multi-night stays very early.
- Golden rule: book the moment official options open — demand far outstrips Brisbane's room supply.
Where Is Brisbane?
Brisbane sits on Australia's east coast in Queensland — the country's third-largest city, with a subtropical climate and a riverfront lifestyle.
The city is built around the Brisbane River. Most Olympic venues sit within 10–20 minutes of the city centre, so inner-city and surrounding suburbs are the natural base. Brisbane Airport is about 20 minutes from the CBD by car and around 25 by Airtrain. The central venues are close together — most are only a 20–30 minute walk apart.
The Core Question: Where Do You Want to Be?
Brisbane 2032 spreads across a 200km corridor from Noosa to the Gold Coast, with regional outposts as far as Cairns. Your choice of base depends entirely on which sports you're there to see.
Brisbane
Ceremonies, athletics, swimming, basketball finals, rugby sevens, football finals.
Explore Brisbane neighbourhoods →Gold Coast
Volleyball, beach volleyball, triathlon, judo. 50-minute train to Brisbane CBD.
Explore Gold Coast →Sunshine Coast
Football preliminaries, road cycling, mountain bike. One-hour from Brisbane.
Explore Sunshine Coast →Brisbane: Where to Stay
Walking distance to the National Aquatic Centre, Victoria Park Stadium, the Gabba, and Roma Street rail hub.
CBD & Spring Hill
Walking distance to the new National Aquatic Centre, Victoria Park Stadium, and Roma Street transport hub. Easy connections to Lang Park, South Bank, and every train line.
Open hotels in the CBD cluster
- Hotel Indigo Brisbane (opened 2022)
- Voco Brisbane City Centre (opened 2022)
- Crystalbrook Vincent (opened 2021)
- Hotel X Brisbane (opened 2021)
- Amora Hotel Brisbane (opened 2024)
- The Star Grand Hotel Brisbane (opened 2025, Queen's Wharf)
Confirmed before 2032: Kimpton Hotel (2028, Queen's Wharf), The Dorsett (Queen's Wharf), The Rosewood (Queen's Wharf).
South Bank & West End
One of Brisbane's most walkable precincts — riverside paths, restaurants, GOMA, the Queensland Museum, and the South Bank Piazza (3x3 basketball venue). West End nearby offers lower-priced guesthouses, apartments, and boutique hotels.
Fortitude Valley
Immediately north of the CBD. Hotels and serviced apartments at prices typically 15–25% lower than equivalent CBD properties. 10-minute walk to the CBD or one stop on rail.
Northshore Hamilton & Newstead
Northshore Hamilton hosts the main Athletes' Village. After the Games, the area becomes a new residential neighbourhood. Newstead next door is an established urban renewal area with apartment-style stays — 4km from CBD by bus or bike.
Chermside
The Adina Hotel Chermside opened April 2026 — 148 apartment-style rooms about 20 minutes north of the CBD, near Westfield Chermside. Practical for visitors prioritising price over location.
Gold Coast
Beach volleyball, volleyball, triathlon, marathon swimming, judo, wrestling, field hockey, football preliminaries. Gold Coast Athletes' Village at Royal Pines.
Surfers Paradise
Highest-density accommodation zone — hundreds of towers, enormous capacity, competitive pricing. Not the most convenient base for specific venues but gives the widest range of price options.
Broadbeach
Immediately adjacent to the Gold Coast Convention Centre (volleyball) and walking distance from Broadbeach Park Stadium (beach volleyball). Mondrian Gold Coast opened May 2025 here.
Coomera & Robina
Coomera (volleyball, wheelchair rugby) is further north with fewer options — most visitors base in Surfers or Broadbeach. Robina (football preliminaries, Athletes' Village nearby at Royal Pines) has limited hotel stock but growing apartment supply.
Gold Coast's existing 28,000+ hotel rooms make it one of the better-supplied venues outside Brisbane.
Sunshine Coast
Football preliminaries, road cycling, mountain bike, open-road marathon and race walk events.
Mooloolaba
Beach-side, compact, walkable. A 182-room hotel is confirmed in the new pipeline.
Maroochydore
Commercial centre, near the stadium. Sunshine Coast Athletes' Village planned here.
Noosa
40km north of main venues. Worth it only if combining a holiday with occasional Games events.
Regional Queensland
Specific sports staged in regional cities. Significant accommodation pressure on competition days.
Rockhampton
Rowing & canoe sprint at Fitzroy River. Limited hotel stock for the city's size. Multi-night stays will be necessary for rowing fans.
Cairns
Football preliminaries at Barlow Park. Mature tourism market thanks to the Great Barrier Reef. 2-hour flight from Brisbane.
Townsville
Football preliminaries at North Queensland Stadium. The Ardo Hotel Townsville is a newer upscale option.
Close to the entire existing stock will be in use during peak periods.
Plus everything new that opens between now and July 2032. The most constrained periods:
The single most useful thing you can do is decide your sport priorities now and watch for official ticketing-and-accommodation packages from the IOC and Brisbane 2032.
For 2032 visitors
Book early
Games accommodation sells out faster than most visitors expect. Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 both saw central accommodation at near-zero vacancy within weeks of tickets going on sale.
Consider apartments and short-term rentals
Airbnb and Stayz will carry large volumes of Brisbane accommodation. Apartments offer better value per person than hotels for groups of three or more.
Factor in transport
A hotel 2km closer to a venue that requires no taxi is often a better deal than a cheaper hotel 10km out with $60 of transport costs per competition day.
Watch official accommodation partners
Brisbane 2032 will designate official accommodation partners with exclusive or early-access booking windows. These partnerships often come with ticket bundles.
Understand pricing windows
In past Olympics, accommodation prices spike two years before the Games, then sometimes soften slightly in the final months. Safest strategy: book as soon as official options open.
Brisbane 2032 accommodation: FAQ
Where should I stay for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics?
Most visitors should base themselves in inner Brisbane — the CBD, South Bank, West End or Fortitude Valley — because the main venues (the new Victoria Park stadium, the National Aquatic Centre, the Gabba) sit within walking or short-rail distance. Choose the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast only if you're mainly attending coastal events.
When should I book accommodation for Brisbane 2032?
Book as soon as official accommodation options open. Brisbane has roughly 46,000 hotel rooms against an estimated 76,000 needed, so central stock will sell out fast. At Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020, central accommodation hit near-zero vacancy within weeks of tickets going on sale.
What's the cheapest area to stay for Brisbane 2032?
Fortitude Valley runs about 15–25% cheaper than the CBD while staying within a 10-minute walk or one rail stop of the city. Chermside and outer suburbs are cheaper again, and apartments or short-term rentals offer better value than hotels for groups of three or more.
Where do I stay for the rowing at Brisbane 2032?
Rowing and canoe sprint are planned for the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, in regional Queensland. Rockhampton has limited hotel stock for its size, so rowing fans should plan multi-night stays and book very early, or fly in from Brisbane on competition days.
How far are Brisbane 2032 venues from the city centre?
Most central Brisbane venues sit within about 10–20 minutes of the CBD, and the main cluster is within a 30–40 minute walk of each other. Brisbane Airport is roughly 20 minutes from the CBD by car and about 25 minutes by Airtrain.
Should I stay on the Gold Coast for Brisbane 2032?
Stay on the Gold Coast if you're mainly there for coastal events — beach volleyball, volleyball, triathlon and football preliminaries. It has 28,000+ hotel rooms and is about a 50-minute train from Brisbane CBD. For city-centre events, base yourself in Brisbane instead.
Ready to narrow it down?
Use the planner tool below to find your suburb and then search availability.
Sources: Tourism Queensland; Time Out Australia, March 2025; WT Partnership accommodation analysis; thebrisbaneolympics.com.au; delivering2032.com.au.
Affiliate disclosure — Some booking links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, BRIS2032 may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We never recommend a service we wouldn't use ourselves. Prices, availability, and dates are set by the booking provider, not BRIS2032.
📸 Photo credits + image attribution
- Brisbane CBD (night): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Brisbane (Brisbane sign): Shutterstock — Alex Cimbal
- South Bank, Brisbane: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Fortitude Valley, Brisbane: John Robert McPherson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Northshore Hamilton: Brisbane City Council / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Chermside, Brisbane: John Robert McPherson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Surfers Paradise: Donaldytong / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Broadbeach: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Robina (Coomera / Robina tile): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Southport (Narrow Neck): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Mooloolaba: Steph McGlenchy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Maroochydore (sunset): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Noosa Heads: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Rockhampton: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
- Cairns Esplanade / Pier: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Townsville Sports Reserve: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo Credit: LatStudios