The Brisbane Cricket Ground, almost always called The Gabba, is the city's great sporting theatre. Cricket has been played here since the late 19th century, and the ground has built a reputation as one of Australia's most intimidating Test venues. For much of the year it switches codes and becomes the home of the Brisbane Lions, so the place is woven into both cricket and Australian rules culture.
You don't need to be a sports tragic to appreciate it. The stadium sits right in Woolloongabba, close enough to the centre that match days spill into the streets and pubs around it. If there is a Test, a Big Bash game, or an AFL fixture while you are in town, it is one of the easiest ways to see Brisbane in a properly local mood: loud, sunburnt, and very opinionated.