Melbourne Cricket Ground Richmond often referred to as “The G”, particularly by Melburnians. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is not just a stadium; it’s a symbol of sporting history, excitement and has a lot of cultural pride. In this blogpost, we dive deep into everything you need to know about the MCG, its rich history, architectural grandeur, world class events, and much more. Get ready to know all about one of the prestigious cricket stadiums in the world.
Let’s delve into history
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is located in the heart of Richmond (an inner-city suburb) which is east of the Melbourne CBD. MCG is the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere and also the headquarters and home ground of Melbourne Cricket Club.
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) was founded in the year 1838. MCC and military team members at the Old Mint site on William Street played the very first match. However, the location turned out to be unsuitable. In early 1839, the MCC established its second ground at the base of Batman’s Hill. This is the location where Spencer Street Railway Station now stands.
In the beginning of 1853, the MCC was told by the government that the route of Australia’s first steam train to Sandridge would pass through the oval. Therefore, they would need to relocate to some other location. The MCC had three choices, out of three the club chose an area within Police Paddock at Richmond. On September 23, the government allocated a new site for the MCC in the Government Paddock Richmond. This place is currently home to the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Important Historical Events happened at Melbourne Cricket Ground Richmond
Since mid-19th century, the MCG has built and maintained an impressive legacy that stands out among the best in the world. Throughout its history the G has held numerous events. These events include a wealth of international cricket, the inaugural Test match, the final of the 1992 World Cup. The England and Pakistan teams played the final, the winning team was Pakistan by 22 runs.
It also hosted another World Cup final in 2015 happened between Australia and New Zealand. Australia claimed the victory on home ground for a fifth World Cup.
In 2020, it hosted Women World Cup Final. In 2022, MCG hosted the T20 World Cup final between England and Pakistan. This time team England settled the scores with Pakistan after 30 years. Team England won the T20 World Cup title for the second time.
MCG has hosted numerous AFL Grand Finals, and most famous of all is the 1956 Olympic Games in which the ‘G was the main stadium. 50 years later, the MCG proudly hosted 2006 Commonwealth Games. In addition to sports, the MCG has been the site of many other major events and music concerts.
The Crowd Capacity of Melbourne Cricket Ground Richmond
Undoubtedly, ‘The G’ is the largest stadium in Australia and one of the few largest stadiums globally. It has a capacity of just under 100,024 patrons at a time for any sporting event. The seating capacity comprises of approximately 95,000 seats and 5,000 standing room spaces.
Remarkably, on the world stage, the MCG’s most notable attendance record (still standing) is 1.153 million patrons for the 15 days of the 1956 Olympics. More than three million visitors come to the MCG annually.
During Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in February 2024
She drew the biggest crowd of her so far career.
Taylor Swift expressed her “overjoyed” feelings on stage upon learning that she had an audience of 96,000 people at MCG.
Getting to the ‘G’ and seating plans
Melbourne Cricket Ground is located on Brunton Avenue, Richmond VIC 3002 offers a very easy access to visitors. There are two train stations close to the MCG. One is Jolimont and the second is Richmond. Jolimont is on the north of the ground and just 5-minute walk to the ground.
Whereas Richmond is on the south-eastern of the ground and a little longer to walk which is not too bad if the weather is nice.
Find your best way to get to the MCG by following the link.
To find about the seating plans please use the link seating plans.
How to become an MCC member?
Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is one of the largest clubs in the world. Moreover, it has one of the longest waiting lists for membership with 188,000 people currently on the list. In order to be on the membership list, the candidate must submit a nomination form with a fee of A$150 this includes GST. Nomination forms require the signature of both proposer and seconder that must be full members of the MCC.
The journey to becoming a full member is a long one, starting as a restricted member, progressing to a provisional member and ultimately achieving full membership. It is difficult to estimate exactly how long a candidate has to wait on the waiting queue. But usually, it takes years.
For more information on becoming the MCC member please visit MCC membership waiting list.
Behind the scenes at Melbourne Cricket Ground Richmond | Special Tours
If you are visiting Melbourne as a tourist or a local Melburnian, behind-the-scenes tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is an absolute must! MCG tours happen regularly from Gate 3 between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. It’s a perfect opportunity to get yourself exposed to the rich history and world-class facilities of this iconic stadium.
Some of the key highlights of this tour include:
Walk along the boundary line where the real action happens, the tour also includes the famous MCC long room, MCC Library, Player change rooms, very famous The Ron Casey Media Centre and much more.
For more information about tours please visit: MCG Tours
Whether you are a cricket enthusiast or simply interested in Australia’s sporting culture, the MCG tour has something to offer everyone. It’s more than just the sport; it’s about the tales, the history, and the community that makes this stadium a very special one.
