NSW Government to allow sale of full-strength beers at Sydney’s Accor and CommBank stadiums

November 17, 2024

Hospitality / Safety / Sport / Venues /

After being banned for more than a decade, the NSW Government is to allow the sale of full-strength beers at the Accor and CommBank stadiums in Western Sydney.

Currently, fans attending these venues in Western Sydney can only buy mid-strength beer, while fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium in Moore Park and the grandstand seating areas at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium can buy full strength beer.

The sale of full-strength beer will be undertaken as trial for six months and begin in time for the 2025 NRL season.

A discrepancy labelled as "unfair" and seen as an example of the ‘east-west’ divide in Sydney, the change results from state member for Riverstone Warren Kirby advocating for the change.

Kirby explained “(this) is not about the strength of beer, it's about fairness.

"People living in Western Sydney should be treated with the same respect as those in the eastern suburbs.”

The trial will run for six months on match days of three hours or less, with full-strength beer to be available in general public areas.

Kirby said half-strength beer was first mandated across all stadiums in 2011 in a bid to bring poor crowd behaviour under control.

In 2022 after the upgrade of Allianz Stadium, full-strength beer became available at the venue as well as at the SCG, but the same change was not afforded to fans in the west.

Venues NSW Kerrie Mather said fans had been asking for full-strength beer at the Western Sydney stadiums for a number of years, noting “we always listen to our fans who have been asking for this for years, and soon they will have an even greater choice and a consistent offering across the Venues NSW network.

“Just like the world-class food offering at our stadiums, it’s all about choice and variety for supporters and that’s what will be on offer during this trial period.

“The safety of patrons is our number one priority and that will continue during the trial.”

The trial's success will be decided by a number of stakeholders including NSW Police, liquor authorities and feedback from fans.

Image: Sydney's CommBank Stadium.

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