Attendances

The MCG is one of the largest stadiums in the world. Throughout its history, the 'G has held numerous events attended by well in excess of 100,000 people.

Australian football and cricket (both international and domestic) have been the staple diet of events at the MCG – the ground has hosted more than 100 VFL/AFL Grand Finals and more than 110 Test matches, many of them starting on the now-traditional Boxing Day.

Ever since the MCC encouraged its entrepreneurial caterers to sponsor the first visit by an England cricket team to Australia, big crowds have flocked to the MCG.

Stadium management always has been mindful of anticipating sporting trends. The MCG has successfully accommodated people at all levels of comfort and convenience in a variety of grandstands or open-air terraces.

Ironically it is not a sporting event which holds the attendance record at the MCG. This honour belongs to American evangelist Billy Graham, who in 1959 attracted an estimated crowd of more than 130,000 (some estimates go as high as 143,750), many of whom had spilled onto the arena.

The MCG also holds the record for the biggest VFL/AFL crowd (121,696), the highest recorded crowd for a cricket match (93,013 at the 2015 World Cup Final) the largest crowd for a single day of Test cricket (91,112) and the record crowd for a domestic cricket match (80,883).

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.

By the mid-nineties, annual attendances at the MCG exceeded 3.5 million – more than the population of Melbourne. It is doubtful that any other stadium in the world could make a similar claim.

Noteworthy attendances

1,153,000
15-day aggregate for 1956 Olympic Games
350,534
Record Test match attendance (1936-37 over six days)
130,000
Billy Graham crusade, 1959 (Est.)
121,696
1970 VFL Grand Final, Carlton v Collingwood
120,000
Final ceremony Eucharistic Congress, 1973 (Est.)
118,192  1971 VFL Grand Final, St Kilda v Hawthorn
109,500 2023 Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour, Friday March 3
108,000 2023 Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour, Thursday March 2
100,024 2022 AFL Grand Final, Geelong Cats v Sydney Swans
100,024 2023 AFL Grand Final, Collingwood v Brisbane Lions
100,022 2018 AFL Grand Final, West Coast Eagles v Collingwood
100,021  2017 AFL Grand Final, Richmond v Adelaide Crows 
99,981  2016 AFL Grand Final, Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs 
99,382 International Champions Cup (Manchester City v Real Madrid) 2015
99,256
Largest attendance for VFL/AFL home and away match 1958 (Melb v Coll)
95,446
Soccer friendly (Liverpool FC v Melbourne Victory) 2013
95,179
ANZAC Day AFL match Collingwood v Essendon 2023
94,825  ANZAC Day AFL match Collingwood v Essendon 1995
93,013
Record cricket attendance - 2015 World Cup Final, Australia v New Zealand
91,513 NRL State of Origin Game II (Queensland v New South Wales) 2015
91,112
Record Test cricket attendance - Australia v England, Boxing Day 2013
90,293
ICC Men's T20 World Cup, India v Pakistan 2022
90,119
Bledisloe Cup rugby union (Australia v New Zealand) 1997
89,155
Boxing Day Test, Australia v England 2006 (Day 1)
87,182
World Cup Final, Pakistan v England, 1992 (Then world record limited-overs attendance)
87,161
Rugby League State of Origin (NSW v Queensland) 1994
87,122  Rugby League State of Origin (NSW v Queensland) 2018
86,174
ICC Women's World Cup Final (Australia v India) 2020
85,513
World Cup Soccer Qualifier (Australia v Iran) 1997
84,659
Record Big Freeze at the 'G crowd, Collingwood v Melbourne 2024
84,041
Twenty20 International, Australia v India 2008
80,883
Record Australian domestic cricket crowd, BBL, Stars v Renegades (2016)
80,708  Eminem Concert 2019 
80,518
Sound Relief Concert 2009
80,462
ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final, England v Pakistan 2022