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Melbourne Cricket Ground - MCG

  • Sport and fitness
  • East Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG
Photograph: Tim Terry
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Time Out says

A sporting arena and music venue so legendary it is known by just one letter: the 'G'

The MCG, truly one of the world's greatest sporting venues, was built back in 1853 when the Melbourne Cricket Club had to find new digs because Australia’s first steam train was coming through the oval. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has been a juggernaut ever since – the first-ever cricket Test match was played here in 1877, the 1956 Olympic Games were staged here and, on the last Saturday in September every year, the biggest show in Australian sport, the AFL Grand Final, descends on the 'G' to pack it to the rafters with 100,000 screaming sports fans (the attendance record remains 121,000 for the 1970 grand final between Carlton and Collingwood).

But the 'G' is much more than merely a coliseum for sporting warriors. Many huge music concerts have been staged here and the G-man himself (um, God) deigned to visit in the form of Pope John Paul, who held mass at the MCG on a visit to Melbourne in 1986.

Today, with the recent redevelopment of the northern side of the stadium (the venue's biggest redux in 150 years), the ground holds 100,000 people and is home turf for the Victorian Bushrangers and Melbourne Stars cricket teams. Four AFL teams play regular home matches at the MCG – Melbourne, Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn.

MCG tours operate on non-match days, accessing the stands, the coaches' boxes, the famous Long Room, players' change rooms and onto the hallowed turf itself when available. Bookings are not essential for individuals and small groups.

The MCG is also home to the National Sports Museum, Australia’s largest multi-sports tourist attraction.

Written by
Time Out editors

Details

Address:
Brunton Ave
Richmond
Melbourne
3002
Transport:
Nearby stations: Jolimont; Richmond

What’s on

Sleep at the 'G

The MCG is Melbourne's holy ground for cricket and AFL, but for one night a year, it is also the site of a huge sleepover, as everyone from students to CEOs pack pyjamas, board games, scarves and beanies and sleep on a cardboard box to raise funds to combat youth homelessness. For the last ten years, Melbourne City Mission (MCM) has asked people to camp out at the legendary stadium to get a taste of what more than 7,600 young people aged 12-24 are experiencing every single night in Victoria. And on May 16, the massive community event is happening again. The money raised through this fundraiser and other donations help the MCM provide vital accommodation for young people who are couch surfing, sleeping rough or in other forms of unstable accommodation. On top of providing a safe place to sleep, the MCM also helps struggling youth build life skills that they might not have had the chance to learn. In 2023, the collective efforts of everyone involved raised an incredible $780,000, which contributed to the construction of accommodation for Victoria’s homeless youth. This year, the goal is to go big and raise more than one million dollars. On the night there will be live music, games, DJs, a fashion parade, singalongs, prizes and lots more. Registration is now open, and adult tickets are $75. So go on, gather a group of family, friends or colleagues and start raising money to do your bit to end youth homelessness. For more information, head to the website. Looking for more worthy

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