‘Nothing like the crowd spirit’: Free World Cup live site returns to South Bank

South Bank is set to transform into a football fan’s dream, with the return of the FIFA World Cup live site, which is expected to bring a vital boost to local businesses.

“Queenslanders have waited four long years for the FIFA World Cup to come around again, and to see our mighty Socceroos in action again on the world stage will be something special,” Premier David Crisafulli said on Sunday.

Opening at the South Bank Cultural Forecourt from 7am on Sunday, June 14 – seven hours before Australia is set to play Turkey – the site will screen all Socceroos matches, with organisers teasing possible additional screening days.

Tourism Minister Andrew Powell described the 5000-capacity site, which was also set up for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as a win for local businesses and a boost for the city and state.

“By activating this part of the world, we’re also activating the local businesses that surround it,” he said.

Crisafulli added: “This is not just about kicking goals for football, it’s also about kicking goals for small and family business.”

Powell said the screenings would enable the community to connect, while also supporting the national team, while Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said watching a game at a live site encapsulated what football was all about.

“Yeah, sure, you can watch the game, you can get a great view at home, but there’s nothing like the crowd spirit,” he said.

Football Queensland chief executive Robert Cavallucci said the event would be unmissable, bringing action from the World Cup – hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico – closer to home.

And the state government was viewing the tournament as a launch pad for the city’s bid to become the events capital of Australia. Crisafulli described it as an “entree”, teasing potential friendly matches in the city off the back of the World Cup.

“We’re working hard on that and hope that we can get something over the line,” he said.

The site was backed by the state government, Brisbane City Council, the council-owned Brisbane Economic Development Agency, and the South Bank Corporation.

While it would be free to access, organisers said capacity would be limited on screening days. Additional dates, including knockout-stage games, may be added to the schedule later.

The site was expected to open on each game day as early as 4am to facilitate live viewing, and would close as early as 3pm, offering a “family-friendly” atmosphere.

Brisbane joins other Australian capitals in hosting a live site, including Sydney and Melbourne, which have six and three sites respectively, after the Victorian government overturned an earlier decision not to host a pop-up site at Federation Square.

Organisers for Brisbane’s live site said safety would “remain a priority at each event”, with security present.

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