Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena is today celebrating 25 years as Australia’s largest and most diverse indoor venue.
Built as one of the major venues for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in reaching its quarter century - during which it has welcomed 15 million fans and hosted 18,000 shows - the venue is marking its status as a landmark of Australia's live entertainment Industry and a core hub of social activity in Greater Sydney.
Regularly recognised as a top-performing global arena - and having been ranked in the Top-10 Live Music Venues in the World in 2023 by Billboard magazine (venues with a capacity of 15,000 or more), the Arena, owned by TEG and operated by ASM Global, is rolling out a spectacular calendar of events in conjunction with its 25-year anniversary celebrations.
Geoff Jones, Qudos Bank Arena Chair and TEG Group Chief Executive, said of the 25-year milestone “we are incredibly proud to celebrate the significant milestone of Australia’s No.1 Arena.
“Over the past 25 years, Qudos Bank Arena has grown to become an iconic venue, not just in Australia, but globally. Some of the biggest names in live entertainment & sport have played in the Arena, which have all no doubt left an indelible mark on attendees over the years.
“As we reflect on QBA’s incredible history, we look forward to continuing to host the biggest names in the entertainment Industry, and creating memorable experiences for fans from around the globe.”
ASM Global APAC Chairman and Chief Executive, Harvey Lister noted “Qudos Bank Arena is one of the most important venues in our portfolio of facilities, particularly as the venue came under our management when it was in serious stress and I look back today and see that turnaround being amongst the most significant that I have ever heard of in our industry, and anywhere in the world.
“Qudos Bank Arena is regularly in the Top-10 in entertainment ticket sales for any large indoor arena anywhere in the world, and it’s known globally. The venue has become much used and much loved by the people of Sydney”.
Qudos Bank Arena General Manager, Steve Hevern stated “with Qudos Bank Arena hosting so many of Sydney’s memorable entertainment events over the past 25 years, just about everyone has their own special memories here.
“The diverse line-up of events that we have confirmed for late 2024 and 2025 will deliver entertainment for everyone in our community, whether that be sport, music, comedy and/or family events. We look forward to hosting all types of genres as we celebrate the Arena’s 25th anniversary.”
ASM Global Group Director of Arenas, Tim Worton added “Qudos Bank Arena is one of ASM Global’s most significant venues. It is high profile, globally recognised and a highly respected arena. QBA features regularly in charts for Billboard and Pollstar for ticket sales results, as one of the world's most successful venues. ASM Global is immensely proud of the Arena.”
Originally known as the Sydney SuperDome, Qudos Bank Arena has hosted the elite of the global live music industry, including The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Prince, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters, Lady Gaga, Mötley Crüe, Kendrick Lamar, Andrea Bocelli, Metallica, Justin Bieber, Carl Barron, Kiss, Michael McIntyre, Coldplay, Disney On Ice, Michael Bublé, Cirque Du Soleil, P!nk, Eagles, The Wiggles, Beyonce, Bring Me The Horizon, Gorillaz, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bruno Mars, Fred again.., UFC 293 and WWE.
The Arena is home to the Sydney Kings in the NBL and the Sydney Flames in the WNBL. The venue has also hosted the Sydney Swifts’ Super Netball games, the 2015 Netball World Cup, 2018 Invictus Games, the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup Basketball, and many major Boxing and UFC Events.
In 2001, the Arena also hosted the ATP World Tour Tennis Masters Cup Finals, with Australia’s World No.1 Lleyton Hewitt winning the men’s tournament.
The Sydney Kings will play 14 home games at Qudos Bank Arena in the 2024/25 National Basketball Season, including numerous double-headers alongside the Flames.
Sydney Kings coach, Brian Goorjian, said "as a club, we congratulate Qudos Bank Arena on their 25th anniversary and thank the venue for playing a role in our two most recent NBL championships. We thoroughly enjoy all our amazing game days there and can't wait to create many more everlasting memories this season inside Qudos Bank Arena.”
In upcoming weeks, Qudos Bank Area will play host to Taiwanese singer, songwriter and actor, Eric Chou (10th November), South African comedian, Trevor Noah (20th November), the NSW Schools Spectacular (29th and 30th November), US rock band, The Killers (6th and 7th December), Australian children's music group, The Wiggles (14th December), hip-hop sensation, Childish Gambino (4th and 5th February), singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish (24th to 28th February), global icon, Kylie Minogue (1st to 3rd March), country music king, Chris Stapleton (4th and 5th March) and pop powerhouse, Dua Lipa (26th to 29th March), pop superstar, Katy Perry (9th and 10th June) and the return of Australian rock legends, Cold Chisel celebrating their 50th Anniversary Tour (16th November and 4th December).
Hevern concluded “at the end of the day, this magnificent Arena was built for the people of NSW, initially to host the Sydney 2000 Olympic & Paralympic Games, and it remains ‘The People’s Arena’ to this day and we are hopeful that this will remain the case for a very long time to come.”
Images (from top): Owned by TEG and operated by ASM Global, the Arena also hosts multiple sporting events, conferences, community and charity events; Taylor Swift performs at the venue; WWE in 2023 and The Rolling Stones in 2003.
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ALM Correspondent/Contributor
Australasian Leisure Management aims to report all that is best about the industry that is leisure - focussing on aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.
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