Melbourne Cricket Ground
MCG the 'G' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Panorama of the MCG before the 2017 AFL Grand Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interactive map of Melbourne Cricket Ground | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Address | 120 Barassi Way East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 37°49′12″S 144°59′0″E / 37.82000°S 144.98333°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Victoria State Government | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Melbourne Cricket Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 100,024 (95,000 seats + 5,000 standing room) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive suites | 109 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surface | Grass | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Record attendance |
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| Field size | 174 metres x 149 metres (general) 160 metres x 141 metres (AFL) 172.9 metres x 147.8 metres (cricket) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Public transit | Richmond Jolimont | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1853 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Renovated | 1992 (Southern Stand redevelopment) 2006 (Northern Stand redevelopment) 2032 (Proposed Shane Warne Stand redevelopment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction cost | Estimated A$725 million (excluding original 1853 construction) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tenants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Melbourne Football Club (1858–present)
Australian cricket team (1877–present) Melbourne Storm (2000)
Australia men's national soccer team (selected matches)
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The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G', is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Australia. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the eleventh-largest stadium globally and the second-largest cricket stadium by capacity. The MCG is within walking distance of the Melbourne central business district and is served by Richmond and Jolimont railway stations, as well as the route 70, 75 and 48 trams. It is adjacent to Melbourne Park and is an integral part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct.
Since it was built in 1853, the MCG has undergone numerous renovations. It served as the main stadium for the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, as well as hosting two Cricket World Cup finals: 1992 and 2015. Noted for its role in the development of international cricket, the MCG hosted both the first Test match and the first One Day International, played between Australia and England in 1877 and 1971, respectively. It has also maintained strong ties with Australian rules football since its codification in 1859, and has become the principal venue for Australian Football League (AFL) matches, including the AFL Grand Final, the world's highest attended league championship event.
Home to the Australian Sports Museum, the MCG has hosted other major sporting events, including international rules football matches between Australia and Ireland, international rugby union matches, State of Origin (rugby league) games, and FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Concerts and other cultural events are also held at the venue with the record attendance standing at 143,750 for a Billy Graham evangelistic crusade in 1959. Grandstand redevelopments and occupational health and safety legislation have limited the maximum seating capacity to approximately 95,000 with an additional 5,000 standing room capacity, bringing the total capacity to 100,024.
The MCG is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and was included on the Australian National Heritage List in 2005. In 2003, journalist Greg Baum called it "a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem" that "symbolises Melbourne to the world".