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South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has today announced the details of a $700 million indoor multi-purpose arena to be built on the banks of Adelaide’s Torrens River.

Designed to replace the ageing Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the 15,000-capacity entertainment, sport and events arena would be built next to Adelaide’s railyards and be linked to the Adelaide Convention Centre and city's CBD by an underground tunnel.

Releasing concept drawings of the proposal, Premier Marshall said construction was not expected to start for another four years - in 2025.

Speaking at a Property Council lunch, Premier Marshall said the new venue would help Adelaide attract many of the conventions and concerts that currently went interstate, commenting “we’ll massively increase the capacity that we have for sporting events, and also for entertainment events here in South Australia.

“We’re losing too many major conventions here in South Australia to interstate venues because they are much larger.

“Too often, international artists are flying over the top of Adelaide because we can only get 7500 or 8500 people into the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.”

Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said a new arena would “obviously generate great economic, social and cultural outcomes for the city”.

Premier Marshall said arena construction would start when major works for the city’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital were expected to finish, in 2025.

He also suggested the new venue’s proximity to the Convention Centre would significantly increase its capacity, putting it in the market for larger and more lucrative events.

Premier Marshall said funding for construction planning and preparation would start in 2023, once final costings had been determined later this year.

A previous proposal for a roofed rectangular stadium on the site has reportedly been rejected because of cost.

In a significant development for South Australian football, construction has started this week on the new $24 million State Centre of Football at Gepps Cross.

Funded by the South Australian Government, when complete the facility will include a show pitch with a 1,000-seat grandstand, a two-storey administration and function centre for Football SA, two full size synthetic floodlit training pitches, gymnasium, change rooms and 10 outdoor five-a-side pitches.

Images: Artist’s renderings of the planned new venue from the air (top), from the River Torrens (middle) and in concert mode (below). 

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