'True rugby league festival': Magic Round keeps getting bigger and better

Up to 180,000 fans are expected to attend Suncorp Stadium this weekend as Magic Round gets bigger and better each year, and Women’s State of Origin continues to grow.

The NRL officially declared all three days of Magic Round a sell-out on Wednesday, while a crowd of up to 30,000 is expected for the Origin series opener on Thursday night.

The opening match of the 2024 series at Suncorp Stadium, which was the first time Origin was played as part of Magic Round, drew a record women's rugby league attendance of 25,492 fans.

That record was broken in Game II when 25,782 defied pouring rain to watch the Maroons level the series with an 11-10 win at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium. 

“This is a true rugby league festival,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said. “The weather is certainly magnificent, the turf looks fantastic, and we've had a record response from our fans.

“We've mixed up the draw this year, we have different teams playing different teams on different days, and Women's State of Origin now expands the festival and adds a whole other dimension to it.

“We have our sponsors investing in activations, we're closing Caxton Street, and we've got this Magic Mile happening, so there's so much to do.”

About 50,000 fans are expected to travel from interstate or overseas, ensuring a massive boost to tourism in South-East Queensland and offering a bucket list experience for supporters of NSW teams, and the Storm and Warriors.

“Even more importantly is how many people across the country are watching this,” Abdo said. “Last year we got to 5.9 million cumulative views on television, this year we hope to get to 6 million.

“I think everyone watching and seeing the colour and the atmosphere, and the vibe, are going to want to be here next year, so it will continue to hopefully grow and be popular.

“We started with 130,000 fans coming through the gates [in 2019] and yesterday afternoon we sold out. That is a credit to the fans, who turn out every year in the colours of all the teams, now men’s and women’s, State of Origin and NRL clubs.”

“When you speak to the fans, many of them that have traveled from interstate come with friends and family and meet as a tradition with others that they've met here. They look forward to and they plan for it each year.”