The Melbourne Cricket Ground, abbreviated as MCG and also simply known as "The G", is a sports stadium located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ground is located close to the center of Melbourne city, a pleasant 15-minute walk from the main Flinders Street train station.

Ashes Test match at the MCG, 2018

Ashes Test match at the MCG, 2018

The stadium, which was opened in 1853, has a current official capacity of 100,024, making it the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the 11th largest stadium in the world and the second-largest cricket stadium in the world behind Sardar Patel Stadium in India.

The MCG mainly serves as a host for various international and domestic cricket matches. The highest attendance for a cricket match was recorded at 93,013, for Australia's 2015 World Cup finals match against New Zealand.

The stadium, despite being named with a cricket ground suffix, has been used for playing Australian Rules Football since 1869. The VFL/AFL Grand Final is played in the MCG every year. The highest attendance ever for a sporting event in the stadium was recorded for an Aussie Rules match at 121,696 for the 1970 VFL Grand Final between Carlton and Collingwood, though a crowd of at least 130,000 came to see the American evangelist Billy Graham in 1959.

💡 Pro Tip: Visit the MCG during non-event days to take a guided tour of the stadium and the National Sports Museum, which houses Australia's largest sports collection.

In 1991, the MCG underwent significant redevelopments when the Great Southern Stand was rebuilt, and again in 2003-2005 when the Northern Stand replaced the old Ponsford, Members and Olympic Stands.

The stadium is also occasionally used for playing Rugby Union, Rugby League and Association Football games. A large crowd attended a soccer match held in the stadium, the 2015 International Champions Cup between Real Madrid and Manchester City, which was attended by a record crowd for a football match at 99,382.

The record attendance for a Rugby League match at the stadium is 91,513 for the State of Origin match in 2015, and for rugby union the highest attendance was 90,119 who saw the Bledisloe Cup rugby union game between Australia v New Zealand in 1997.

Some of the Major Events Held at the MCG

Here are just some of the major events that have been held at Melbourne Cricket Ground:

Year Event
1877 The first-ever cricket Test Match, between England and Australia
1956 Melbourne Olympic Games
1971 The first one-day international cricket match
1992 ICC Cricket World Cup Final
2006 Commonwealth Games
2015 ICC Cricket World Cup Final
2022 Men's T20 World Cup
Annually The AFL Grand Final is played at the MCG each year on the last weekend in September
Commonwealth Games at the MCG, 2006

Commonwealth Games at the MCG, 2006

Stadium Trivia

Largest in the Southern Hemisphere

The MCG has just dropped off the list of the top-10 World's Largest Sporting Stadiums. It is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, Oceania, Australia, and the second-largest cricket stadium in the world.

Historic Venue

Opening in 1853 makes the MCG one of the oldest major sporting venues in the world, with over 170 years of hosting world-class sporting events.

Multiple Record Crowds

The MCG holds attendance records across multiple sports including cricket (93,013), soccer (99,382), rugby league (91,513), and Australian Rules Football (121,696).