During the five days of the fourth Test between Australia and India, more than 351,100 spectators entered the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), setting a new record for Test match attendance in Australia. This astounding amount exceeds the previous record of 350,534, set during Sir Don Bradman's playing days in 1937. A total of 350,700 people attended this match over the course of five days, according to Fox Cricket. According to Cricket Australia, this is also the number of people who have ever attended a Test match held in Australia.
MCG witness record attendance
In the course of the fourth Test's five days, almost 351,100 fans entered the MCG, shattering the previous record of 350,534 set in 1937. The 2024 MCG Boxing Day Test drew a larger audience than the January 1937 encounter, which pitted an Australian team captained by Sir Donald Bradman against England over six days.
"The MCG didn't expect a crowd like this, nor did CA. They are scrambling to find food and beverages for the 75k expected crowd + security to open up all levels. They are placing an emphasis on ice-creams, shipping as many in as they can.?? Unreal atmosphere," Australian journalist Tom Morrison said on X.
Day 5 saw the rare opening of Yarra Park, which is outside the ground, to the public for parking. Unfortunately, there was only one gate open, which resulted in heavy gridlock and delayed entry for many people.
"We've officially surpassed the attendance record set in 1936/37 when Australia faced England - a Test that spanned six days," the MCG's official account posted on X toward the end of the opening session of Day 5. Adam Gilchrist also noted that the final number of attendance could still increase.
With 43,867 spectators on Day 4, the overall attendance reached 299,329, the highest number ever seen for a Boxing Day Test. It had been predicted that the first day, Boxing Day itself, would bring in record crowds. The highest-ever single-day attendance for an Indian Test match in Australia was 87,242 on Day 1, despite strong heat wave warnings.
With a final attendance of 83,073—the biggest Day 3 crowd in Boxing Day Test history—Day 3 also set a new record. Additionally, it was the biggest attendance for Day 3 at the MCG since January 1937, when Sir Don Bradman was undefeated on 56 at stumps in front of 87,798 spectators. An astounding 255,462 people had attended by the end of Day 3.