BRISBANE, Australia — Powered by concerts from AC/DC, Metallica and a slew of sporting concerts, Optus Stadium is crowned as Australia’s stadium of the year.
The Perth venue takes top honors in the seventh edition of the fan-voted 2025 Stadium Awards, organized by Austadiums, the online resource for Australian and New Zealand venues and events.
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Optus Stadium secured 27.5% of the public vote, narrowly beating Adelaide Oval (23%) and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium (18.2%).
The venue’s “continued success comes off another major year hosting high-profile AFL matches, international cricket, concerts, and special events,” reads a statement from Austadiums. “Its riverfront location, modern design, and strong match-day atmosphere continue to resonate with fans nationwide.”
Opening in January 2018, Optus Stadium has a standard seating capacity of 60,000, making it the country’s third-largest stadium, though the venue can be reconfigured to hold up to 65,000 for rectangular field sports, like soccer and rugby, and more for concerts, lifting to 70,000 or more with temporary seating. It’s owned by the Western Australian state government and operated by VenuesLive.
Optus Stadium has now won stadium of the year every year since 2019, with the exception of the inaugural 2018 vote, which was nabbed by the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The west won big as RAC Arena edged out east coast heavyweight Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to snag best indoor arena for the third consecutive year.
“We’re proud to create unforgettable live experiences for the people of WA,” comments RAC Arena general manager, Michael Scott, in a statement, “and look forward to welcoming even more world-class events to the venue in 2026.”
Also, Adelaide Oval won a brace, for best oval stadium and most picturesque stadium, while Suncorp Stadium (best rectangular stadium) and GMHBA Stadium (best regional stadium) were in the winners’ circle.
The awards are a national, fan-voted competition recognizing excellence across Australian venues in six categories, with more than 570 stadiums and arenas eligible for nomination.
