Stadium Australia opened on March 6, 1999, at Sydney Olympic Park as the centerpiece venue built for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Designed by HOK Sport at a cost of about A$690 million, it held roughly 115,000 seats in its original Olympic configuration, making it one of the largest stadiums ever built for a single Games.
The venue has carried several commercial names since opening, including Telstra Stadium, ANZ Stadium, and today’s Accor Stadium, but Sydneysiders and record books still often refer to it by its original name. After a post-Olympics reconfiguration to better suit rectangular and oval field sports, capacity settled at around 83,000, and the stadium remains the largest in Australia.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): South Sydney Rabbitohs, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, NSW State of Origin, Australia national rugby & soccer teams
- Location: Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia
- Opened: March 6, 1999
- Capacity: About 83,000 (expandable to 115,000)
- Architect: HOK Sport
- Construction cost: About A$690 million
- Notable fact: Record attendance of 114,714 for the 2000 Olympics closing ceremony
An Olympic Legacy
Stadium Australia was purpose-built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics program. It was here that Cathy Freeman won the 400m gold medal in front of a reported crowd of over 112,000, one of the most celebrated moments in Australian sporting history.
Beyond track and field, the stadium’s Olympic-era bowl was engineered to later be reshaped, allowing seating to be pulled in closer to the field once the temporary end-zone stands were removed after the Games.
Home of Australian Rugby League
The stadium has served as the traditional home of the NRL Grand Final, hosting the decider every year from 1999 through 2020 and again from 2022 onward; the 2021 final was the lone exception, moved to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane because of COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney. The venue also regularly stages New South Wales State of Origin matches and hosts the Australian national rugby union and soccer teams.
The venue’s rectangular-pitch layout, adapted from its original oval-friendly Olympic design, also let it host major football fixtures, including the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
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Stadium Australia FAQs
Is Stadium Australia the same as Accor Stadium?
Yes. The venue opened in 1999 as Stadium Australia and has since carried sponsor names including Telstra Stadium, ANZ Stadium, and currently Accor Stadium under a naming-rights deal.
What is the capacity of Stadium Australia?
The stadium currently seats about 83,000, down from its original 2000 Olympics configuration of roughly 115,000.
What events has Stadium Australia hosted?
It hosted the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and athletics events, the NRL Grand Final in nearly every year since 1999 (all except 2021, when the final moved to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane due to COVID-19 restrictions), the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
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Photo: Storm machine / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.