Stadium Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stadium Australia
Accor Stadium

The stadium during the 2023 NRL Grand Final
Former names	Sydney Olympic Stadium (1999–2001) Telstra Stadium (2002–2007) ANZ Stadium (2008–2020)
Location	Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia ()
Coordinates	33°50′50″S 151°03′47″E / 33.84722°S 151.06306°E / -33.84722; 151.06306
Public transit	Olympic Park Special event buses
Owner	Venues NSW via Government of New South Wales
Operator	VenuesLive Management Services
Capacity	82,000 (Rectangular) 81,500 (Oval) 115,000 (2000 Summer Olympics)
Record attendance	114,714: 2000 Olympics closing ceremony
Field size	160 m × 118 m (525 ft × 387 ft)
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	12 September 1996; 28 years ago (1996-09-12)
Opened	6 March 1999; 26 years ago (1999-03-06)
Construction cost	A$690 million
Architect	HOK Sport
Tenants
Rugby league New South Wales Blues (State of Origin; 1999–present) Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (NRL; 1999–2000, 2006-present) South Sydney Rabbitohs (NRL; 2006–present) St George Illawarra Dragons (NRL; 2008, 2014–2017) Wests Tigers (NRL; 2005–2008, 2014–2018) Parramatta Eels (NRL; 2017–2019) Rugby union Australia national rugby union team (selected matches) Association football Western Sydney Wanderers (A-League; 2016–2019) Australia men's national soccer team (selected matches) Australia women's national soccer team (selected team]] (selected matches) Sydney FC (selected matches) Cricket New South Wales cricket team Sydney Thunder (BBL; 2012–2015) Australian rules football GWS Giants (2012–2013; 2022–present) Sydney Swans (2002–2015)
Website
accorstadium.com.au

Stadium Australia, also known as Accor Stadium, is a huge sports and entertainment venue in Sydney Olympic Park, Australia. It's a "multi-purpose stadium," meaning it can host many different kinds of events. People sometimes call it the Sydney Olympic Stadium or Homebush Stadium.

The stadium was built for the 2000 Summer Olympics and opened in March 1999. It cost about A$690 million to build. It was originally designed to hold around 115,000 people, making it one of the biggest Olympic stadiums ever. In 2003, the stadium was changed to hold fewer people, about 80,000, but it can still add more seats for special events. These changes also added roofs over most seats, so more people could stay dry.

What's in a Name? Stadium Sponsors

The stadium has had a few different names over the years. When it first opened in 1999, it was called Sydney Olympic Stadium. In 2001, it became Stadium Australia.

Telstra Stadium and ANZ Stadium

In 2002, a phone company called Telstra paid to have the stadium named after them. It was then known as Telstra Stadium. Later, in 2008, a bank called ANZ Bank took over the naming rights. The stadium was called ANZ Stadium until the end of 2020.

Accor Stadium Today

After a short time as just Stadium Australia again, a big hotel company called Accor bought the naming rights in November 2021. That's why it's known as Accor Stadium today.

A Look Back: Stadium History

The stadium has seen many exciting moments since it opened.

First Events and Big Crowds

A rugby league match was the stadium's first event. It has hosted the annual NRL Grand Final since 1999 (pictured).

The very first sports event at the stadium was a rugby league match on March 6, 1999. Over 104,000 fans watched two games! This set a new world record for a rugby league crowd.

The first concert was by the Bee Gees on March 27, 1999. Over 66,000 people came to see them perform.

The Socceroos (Australia's national soccer team) played the first soccer match there on June 12, 1999. Australia won 3-2 in front of 88,101 fans. The stadium also hosted a famous game in 2005 when Australia beat Uruguay to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in many years.

Rugby union also set records here. In 1999, over 107,000 people watched Australia play New Zealand. Even more, 109,874 fans, saw another thrilling game between these two teams in 2000.

The 2000 Sydney Olympics

During the 2000 Summer Olympics, the stadium hosted track and field athletics events.

The stadium was the main venue for the 2000 Summer Olympics. It hosted the amazing opening and closing ceremonies. The closing ceremony had a record attendance of 114,714 people! Many famous Australian musicians performed, like Kylie Minogue and Midnight Oil.

During the Olympics, over 112,000 people watched athletics events, including when Australia's Cathy Freeman won a gold medal. The soccer final also drew over 104,000 fans.

Changes and More Records

The main entrance to the stadium.

After the Olympics, the stadium was changed to be more flexible. They removed parts of the stands and the athletics track. This allowed it to host sports like cricket and Australian rules football, which need an oval-shaped field. These changes were finished in 2003.

A play-off against Uruguay at Stadium Australia ended with a penalty shootout that sent Australia to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On November 16, 2005, 82,698 fans watched Australia beat Uruguay in a penalty shootout. This win sent Australia to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The spot where John Aloisi scored the winning penalty is even marked at the stadium!

In 2009, the stadium got huge new HD LED video screens. They are 70% bigger than the old ones!

The stadium's first international cricket match, a Twenty20 International between Australia and India (pictured), took place in February 2012.

The stadium hosted its first international cricket match in 2012. Australia played India in a Twenty20 game, and nearly 60,000 people watched.

In 2013, a record 83,702 people watched a rugby union game between the British & Irish Lions and Australia. Just 10 days later, an even bigger crowd of 83,813 watched a State of Origin rugby league game.

Stadium Upgrades

After the Olympics, the north and south wing stands were replaced with roofs. The stadium was also changed to host Australian rules football and cricket matches.

Over the years, the stadium has been updated. In 2001, major work began to make the field shape changeable for different sports. This involved removing the athletics track and adding movable seats. New roofs were also added.

More recently, in 2022, a huge new scoreboard was installed. It is 120 meters wide! The stadium also got new LED sports lights. In 2023, the changing rooms and media areas were upgraded for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

What Happens at the Stadium?

Accor Stadium is a busy place, hosting many different sports and events.

Rugby League Matches

The stadium has hosted one of the three annual State of Origin games since 1999.

Rugby league is one of the most common sports played here. Two teams, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, play most of their home games at the stadium.

The stadium also hosts all New South Wales home games for the exciting State of Origin series each year. Every NRL Grand Final since 1999 has been held here, except for one in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rugby Union Matches

The stadium has hosted many important rugby union games. In 2003, it was a key venue for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, including both semi-finals and the final.

In 2013, the stadium hosted the final match of the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. In 2014, a record crowd watched the New South Wales Waratahs win the Super Rugby Final here.

Cricket Games

The stadium is approved for international cricket and has hosted Twenty20 International matches. The Sydney Thunder team from the Big Bash League used to play their home games here.

Soccer Matches

Stadium Australia held the second leg of the 2006 FIFA World Cup play-off. John Aloisi scored the winning penalty.

As Australia's largest stadium for rectangular fields, it often hosts big games for the Socceroos. This includes the famous 2005 win against Uruguay that sent Australia to the World Cup.

The stadium also hosted the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final, which Australia won. In 2023, it hosted the opening match and the final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

2015 AFC Asian Cup

The 2015 AFC Asian Cup final (pictured) was held at Stadium Australia, along with six other matches during the tournament.

The stadium hosted seven games of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, including the final.

Date	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Stage	Attendance
10 January 2015	Uzbekistan	1–0	North Korea	Group B	12,078
13 January 2015	Oman	0–4	Australia	Group A	50,276
15 January 2015	Qatar	0–1	Iran	Group C	22,672
19 January 2015	Qatar	1–2	Bahrain	Group C	4,841
23 January 2015	Japan	1–1 (4–5 pen.)	United Arab Emirates	Quarter-finals	19,094
26 January 2015	South Korea	2–0	Iraq	Semi-finals	36,053
31 January 2015	South Korea	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Australia	Final	76,385

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

Stadium Australia hosted the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final, with Spain defeating England 1–0 before a crowd of 75,784.

The stadium hosted the opening match for Australia in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Australia won 1-0 against the Republic of Ireland. It also hosted four knockout matches, including the final, where Spain beat England 1-0.

Date	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Stage	Attendance
21 July 2023	Australia	1–0	Republic of Ireland	Group B	75,784
7 August 2023	Australia	2–0	Denmark	Round of 16	75,784
12 August 2023	England	2–1	Colombia	Quarter-final	75,784
16 August 2023	Australia	1–3	England	Semi-final	75,784
20 August 2023	Spain	1–0	England	Final	75,784

Australian Rules Football

The stadium has hosted many Australian rules football games, especially for the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney Giants. The Swans used to play some of their biggest games here. In 2022, Australian rules football returned to the stadium after a break.

Motorsports Events

In 2002, the stadium hosted a Motorcycle speedway event, the Speedway Grand Prix of Australia. A temporary track was built for the race. It also hosted the first-ever Monster Jam Australia event in 2013.

American Football Games

The stadium hosted the American Bowl in 1999, which was the first professional American football game in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2016, it hosted a college football game between the California Golden Bears and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

Concerts and Music Events

Two Adele Live 2017 concerts took place at Stadium Australia in March 2017. The second concert on March 11, 2017 (pictured) set the venue's post-reconfiguration attendance record of 98,364.

Many famous musicians have performed at the stadium. The Bee Gees played the first concert in 1999.

• Rock bands like AC/DC, U2, Bon Jovi, and Guns N' Roses have all played here.
• Pop stars like Eminem, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Adele have also held huge concerts. Adele's concerts in March 2017 had over 200,000 people, setting a new record for concerts at the stadium!
• In February 2020, a big charity concert called Fire Fight Australia was held here to raise money for bushfire relief. Many Australian and international artists performed.
• Recently, Coldplay performed four times in November 2024, setting a new record for the most attended event at the venue with over 338,000 people.

Amazing Attendance Records

This table shows some of the biggest crowds the stadium has ever seen for different types of events.

See also

In Spanish: Stadium Australia para niños

• 2000 Summer Olympics venues
• List of sports venues in Australia
• List of national stadiums
• List of rugby league stadiums by capacity
• Lists of stadiums