Qudos Bank Arena was the name carried by Sydney’s largest indoor entertainment venue from April 2016 until July 2026, when a new naming-rights deal saw it become Afterpay Arena. Built as the Sydney SuperDome for the 2000 Summer Olympics, the arena sits at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush and has hosted basketball, gymnastics, world championship netball, and a constant rotation of major touring concerts since it opened in November 1999.
Across its various naming eras, the venue has stayed the same physical space: a bowl-shaped arena capable of holding around 21,000 people for concerts, with a stage-end configuration that has welcomed acts from Kylie Minogue to Metallica. The Qudos Bank name is now part of the building’s history rather than its present signage, but it remains the era most fans associate with the venue’s biggest touring years.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia
- Type: Multi-purpose indoor arena
- Opened: November 6, 1999 (as Sydney SuperDome)
- Qudos Bank Arena era: April 2016 – July 2026
- Capacity: About 21,000 for concerts; around 18,000 for seated sport
- Famous for: Inaugural show by Luciano Pavarotti and 2000 Olympic basketball finals
- Current name: Afterpay Arena (since July 2026)
From Olympic Venue to Touring Powerhouse
The arena was built at a reported cost of about $200 million and opened as the Sydney SuperDome in November 1999, in time to host basketball finals and gymnastics at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Its bowl design and large floor capacity made it a natural fit for both elite sport and arena concerts, and it quickly became the default stop for major international touring acts visiting Sydney, alongside home games for the Sydney Kings basketball team.
The venue changed sponsor names several times over the following two decades, moving from Acer Arena (2006) to Allphones Arena (2011) before Qudos Bank secured naming rights in April 2016. During that near decade-long Qudos Bank era, the arena remained Australia’s largest permanent indoor entertainment venue and a fixture on global touring schedules.
The 2026 Rebrand to Afterpay Arena
In May 2026, Afterpay announced a new five-year naming rights partnership, and the venue was officially relaunched as Afterpay Arena on July 23, 2026, following an interior redesign. Fans searching for ‘Qudos Bank Arena’ today are looking for the same building and the same seating bowl at Sydney Olympic Park — just under new signage and a new sponsor.
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Qudos Bank Arena FAQs
Is Qudos Bank Arena still called that?
No. As of July 23, 2026, the venue is officially known as Afterpay Arena under a new five-year naming rights deal. It was called Qudos Bank Arena from April 2016 until that rebrand.
How many people did Qudos Bank Arena hold for concerts?
The venue held around 21,000 people in its maximum concert configuration, with seated capacity closer to 18,000 for sporting events like basketball and netball.
What was Qudos Bank Arena originally called?
It opened in November 1999 as the Sydney SuperDome, built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, before later being renamed Acer Arena, then Allphones Arena, then Qudos Bank Arena.
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Photo: MasterMind5991 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.