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Write down a list of everything you would want from a large scale sports arena, Perth’s Optus Stadium has it. It’s faster to summarise the splendour of Perth’s new sports stadium by working out what is wrong with it.
Even then, there’s an if, but or maybe appended to every nitpick.
You can’t catch an Uber, or have someone drop you off within a leisurely stroll of the venue. But the public transport links are outstanding, capitalising on the city’s underrated asset.
The pitch of the bowl is incredibly steep. But the sight lines, as you’ve no doubt been made aware, need to be seen to be believed.
The venue is incredibly noisy – I had to step out on to one of the many outside concourse areas on the outer of the stadium to take a phone call at one stage – but the scream when a wicket was taken or six was scored was unlike anything I have heard at a Perth stadium.
Seeing as we are starting with the few minuses, it was clear this was Optus Stadium’s first event proper. The queues for food and beverage snaked as long as any at Subiaco Oval. A ten minute line for lunch time sustenance was met with a further ten minute wait for the sustenance itself.
One bar turned away eager punters with a “no beer until 11am” edict, as others were blowing by the four cup limit as soon as the place opened.
Around the stadium I heard stories of chaos on public transport, and there was a noticeable volume of empty seats when Mitch Starc bowled the first delivery of the match.
You know what? It didn’t matter. From the glorious, whole-of-stadium vista exiting the Perth Stadium Train Station to the first glimpse of the pristine outfield as you exit the ground floor concourse and step into the bowl, Optus Stadium is a delight to the eyes. There has been no effort spared to make the venue look and feel like a billion bucks.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
For starters, it is completely open access. The external bowls on level one and level five circle the whole venue, and it takes not much more than five minutes to make your way around. The airy corridors feel very Etihad Stadium-like, but with a bit more room to move laterally.
The outlook over the Swan River and into the eastern part of the Perth CBD feels more rooftop bar than sports ground, but that’s sort of the point. Level five of the venue has at least half a dozen mini venues in addition to the corporate areas – one of which, The Locker Room, was stationed 100 per cent behind the northern side sight screen. Oops.
All have their own niche. Craft Beer Bar and The Tap Room are the clear highlights, serving taps underneath the Stadium’s two big screens (which we’ll get to in a moment) with a view across the majority of the ground.
Ample open spaces dot the walkways, with tables, chairs, nooks and crannies affording an abundance of elbow room. There must be close to one television screen for every patron – you would be hard pressed to find a spot in the venue where you couldn’t watch what was happening on the field.
Speaking of which, the technology employed at Optus Stadium will doubtlessly set a new standard for Australian stadiums. Pristine cellular reception meant the free WiFi network was not a must-do, but as one does at a new venue one gave it a spin: A stable 14mbps connection, with no drop outs and absolute ease of access.
The sound system was deafening – the deep bass and tight snares of David Warner’s entry music more WWE than ODI cricket. On this alone it is clear the venue will be an outstanding complement to Perth Arena’s world-renowned acoustics.
And the big screens live up to their billing as biggest and best in the southern hemisphere. The depth of blacks and vibrant colours were like two IMAX cinema screens floating above the ground; they will look special in the evening.
The stadium’s LED light system was put to the test, flashing a variety of colours and patterns when something happened on the field. Again, this will be a nifty feature at night time. There’s promise of more on the technology front, that may lean against some of the queuing issues that arose.
(Image: Ryan Buckland)
There were no queues for bathrooms. I repeat, there wasn’t a single bathroom queue at the venue. Every wall space that wasn’t a food and beverage outlet or path to somewhere was a bathroom. The stadium even has a significant number of parenting rooms. It sounds like nothing but believe me, it’s something.
Seating was comfortable, although for taller folks could get a little tight in the back with long stretches of sitting. The seats though are light years ahead of both previous Perth stadia – my last trip to the WACA, I was sitting on bolted down high school chairs, sans the metal legs. It is such an upgrade that the screens showed a warning message regarding the ‘flip down’ nature of the seats multiple times through the event.
Every creature comfort is catered for. From the aforementioned rest areas dotting the venue, to the shade cloth that kept at least three quarters of the venue under cover for the entirety of the game.
In saying that I didn’t venture to the eastern side of the ground as the afternoon dragged on and the setting sun appears to drive patrons to the standing areas.
The food was ahead of the Subiaco or WACA offerings, but no different to my experience at the MCG or Etihad Stadium. There was, however, four types of hot dogs on offer, as well as fish and chips, salt and pepper squid, and ‘popcorn chicken’ – which must be some kind of trademark infringement at the cricket.
Beverage choices were a clear upgrade, however. The selection of Gage Roads as the tap beer provider is inspired, and the local craft brewery has put together mid strength versions of their favourite drops that satisfy on every level. Roads’ Atomic Pale Ale was the clear stand out, so popular that the Skyview Lounge ran out of it before England’s inning was out.
For it all, Optus Stadium still afforded an equivocally ‘Perth’ day out at the cricket. There was a beer snake by 1:30 (and west versus east duelling snakes just before 6), a Mexican wave not long after, and an agile streaker to cap it off (the minutes after the streaker was carted off, after the worryingly middling response of ground staff, was the first time I noticed internet connectivity heaved a little).
Beach balls were in no short supply, and the WACA members reserve was closed off to those without a lanyard.
(Your intrepid reporter managed to sneak in, and can confirm there is nothing beyond the velvet rope that is not available to the mortals in the outer).
The game itself carried on at a pace that afforded the opportunity for legs to be stretched, drinks to be consumed, and pictures to be taken. Andrew Tye’s fifth wicket in his five-wicket haul was the clear highlight, the rapturous noise shaking the stadium in a way no Perth venue has shaken before.
Indeed, the general hum of the crowd was noticeably louder than at either of the city’s two obsolete venues. That might have been the design of the stadium itself. But I suspect it was a product of the pleasure of the place.
Teething problems aside, Perth’s new stadium lives up to the hype, and deserves to be considered Australia’s best.
A Day at Optus Stadium
2x tickets – $160.0
4x train fares – no charge
1x Water bottle refill – no charge
2x Gage Roads Atomic Pale Ale 3.5% – $19.0
2x Gage Roads ‘Alby’ – $17.0
1x Stadium Burger – $9.0
1x Mrs Macs Beef Pie – $5.2
2x Large Chips – $12.0
2x Gage Roads Single Finn Summer Ale 3.5% – $19.0
2x Gage Roads Single Finn Summer Ale 3.5% – $19.0
2x Gage Roads Atomic Pale Ale 3.5% – $19.0
Total – $279.2