Perth Arena
Perth Arena (known commercially as RAC Arena) is an entertainment and sporting arena in the city centre of Perth, Western Australia, used mostly for basketball matches. It is located on Wellington Street near the site of the former Perth Entertainment Centre, and was officially opened on 10 November 2012. Perth Arena was the first stage of the Perth City Link, a 13.5-hectare (33-acre) major urban renewal and redevelopment project which involved the sinking of the Eastern Railway to link the Perth central business district directly with Northbridge. Anchor tenants of Perth Arena include the Perth Wildcats, West Coast Fever, and until 2019, the Hopman Cup.
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 Interactive map of RAC Arena | |
Former names | Perth Arena (2012–2018) |
|---|---|
| Address | 700 Wellington Street, Perth |
| Location | Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°56′54″S 115°51′07″E / 31.9483°S 115.8519°E |
| Owner | VenuesWest |
| Operator | AEG Ogden |
| Capacity | 15,500[4] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 2007 |
| Opened | 10 November 2012[1] |
Construction cost | A$548.7 million[2][3] |
| Architect | ARM & CCN |
| Builder | WSP |
Project manager | Appian Group |
Structural engineer | Aurecon |
Services engineer | Wood & Grieve Engineers |
General contractor | BGC |
Main contractors | Buss Construction |
| Tenants | |
| |
| Website | |
| racarena.com.au | |
Perth Arena (known commercially as RAC Arena)[5] is an entertainment and sporting arena in the city centre of Perth, Western Australia, used mostly for basketball matches. It is located on Wellington Street near the site of the former Perth Entertainment Centre, and was officially opened on 10 November 2012. Perth Arena was the first stage of the Perth City Link, a 13.5-hectare (33-acre) major urban renewal and redevelopment project which involved the sinking of the Eastern Railway to link the Perth central business district directly with Northbridge.[6]
Anchor tenants of Perth Arena include the Perth Wildcats,[7] West Coast Fever, and until 2019, the Hopman Cup.[8]
History
[edit]
Perth Arena is owned by VenuesWest (which operates the Perth High Performance Centre, Arena Joondalup, WA Basketball Centre, and others) on behalf of The Government of Western Australia and has been managed by Legends Global since opening.[9] From July 2026, VenuesWest will also assume management of the facility.[10]
The inaugural General Manager of Perth Arena was David Humphreys, former General Manager of the Perth Entertainment Centre and the Sydney SuperDome.[11] Humphreys died two months before the venue's opening.[12] AEG Ogden announced Steve Hevern as the interim General Manager on 3 October 2012.[13]
Design and construction
[edit]
The tender for the project was won by Western Australian construction consortium BGC, and work commenced on the site in June 2007. The arena was jointly designed by architectural firms Ashton Raggatt McDougall and Cameron Chisholm Nicol. With its design based on the Eternity puzzle, the venue holds up to 13,910 spectators for tennis events,[14] 14,846 for basketball (the arena's capacity is capped at 13,000 for National Basketball League regular season games)[15] and a maximum of 15,000 for music or rock concerts. The venue has a retractable roof, 36 luxury appointed corporate suites, a 680-bay underground car park, 5 dedicated function spaces, and touring trucks can drive directly onto the arena floor.[16]
The construction was marred by controversy in relation to the cost and time blowouts from the original $150 million estimate to $550 million. Auditor General Colin Murphy reported in 2010 that "the initial estimates of the cost and opening date for the Arena were unrealistic and made before the project was well understood or defined."[17] An example of the modifications to the original Arena design is the change of the carpark location from being built above the nearby railway line as a separate project to underneath the Arena itself.
Naming rights
[edit]For the first six years of operation, Perth Arena retained its non-commercial name. In September 2018, the venue name was changed to RAC Arena. The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC) agreed to a five-year naming rights arrangement, with the deal estimated to be worth about $10 million to the Government of Western Australia.[18] Prior to the name change, the Government of Western Australia had paid around $8 million to stadium operator AEG Ogden as compensation for not being able to sell the naming rights.[18]
Entertainment
[edit]On 8 and 9 November 2013, the American musician Beyoncé played 2 sold-out shows there to conclude the Oceania leg of her world tour, The Mrs Carter Show World Tour.
On 20 August 2014, Lady Gaga performed at the arena for her artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball.
On 29 October and 1 November 2014, The Rolling Stones played two sold out nights at the venue on their first visit to Perth since 1995.
On 14 March 2015, Australian singer Kylie Minogue performed at the arena as part of her Kiss Me Once Tour. On 15 February 2025, she returned for a stop on her Tension Tour.
On 4 August 2018, French Canadian singer Celine Dion performed at the arena for the first time, as a part of Celine Dion Live 2018. This was the first show by Dion, since her Taking Chances World Tour, to be held in Perth.
On 12 October 2018, American singer-actress Cher performed for the first time at the Arena as part of her Here We Go Again Tour.
In 2022, it was announced that Perth Arena would be the new host for the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.[19]
On 29 and 30 September 2022, the American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish performed her final two dates in Australia during her tour, Happier Than Ever: The World Tour.
On 25 October 2023, Irish folk-rock band The Corrs performed at the arena as part of their 2023 tour of Australasia and Southeast Asia.[20] The group was supported by Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia, as well as Toni Childs and Germein.
Sports
[edit]Basketball
[edit]
Perth Arena hosted its first National Basketball League game on 16 November 2012 when the Perth Wildcats played (and lost) against the Adelaide 36ers in front of a crowd of 11,562.[21] The attendance was the largest recorded in Western Australia for an indoor event,[22][23] breaking the previous record of 8,501 set at the Burswood Dome in 2004.[24] The arena has since hosted larger crowds, with the current record being 13,661 set in December 2025.[25]
With a capacity of 14,846, Perth Arena is the second-largest venue currently in use in the NBL (2016–17) behind the Sydney SuperDome (18,200). The arena is also the third largest venue ever used in the NBL behind Sydney and the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne (15,400).
In 2024, Perth Arena became the grand final host venue of the NBL1 West.[26][27]
Tennis
[edit]On 2 January 2019, a record crowd of 14,064 attended the venue for the 2019 Hopman Cup match between United States and Switzerland.[28] This was also the highest attendance for a tennis match in Western Australian history. The stadium hosted the Hopman Cup until the tournament switched to using different host countries after 2019. It was chosen by Tennis Australia to host the 2019 Fed Cup Final between Australia and France.[29] In 2020 the arena was one of three Australian venues to host ties in the multi-nation ATP Cup tournament. Since 2022 it has been one of three venues to host the multi-nation mixed-team United Cup tournament.[30]
Boxing
[edit]George Kambosos and Vasily Lomachenko fought for the vacant IBF lightweight title, and Kambosos' IBO title, at Perth Arena on 12 May 2024. Lomachenko was crowned the new unified champion by eleventh round technical knockout.
Mixed martial arts
[edit]The UFC hosted UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold at Perth Arena on February 11, 2018.[31] The promotion returned to the arena five years later for UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski on February 12, 2023.[32] The UFC held UFC 305: du Plessis vs. Adesanya at Perth Arena on August 18, 2024.[33] The arena hosted UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes on September 28, 2025.[34]
Netball
[edit]Netball was first played at the arena on 27 April 2013, when home team the West Coast Fever lost 49–58 to the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship. The Fever has continued to play occasional matches at the venue over the years, sharing fixtures with the smaller Perth High Performance Centre. Ahead of the 2018 season, the club shifted all home matches to Perth Arena. The crowd of 13,722 at the 2018 Super Netball Grand Final was a domestic-league record.[35]
The first international netball test was played at Perth Arena on 30 October 2015 between Australia and New Zealand in the final test of the Constellation Cup.[36]
Professional wrestling
[edit]American professional wrestling company WWE hosted their premium event Crown Jewel: Perth at the arena on 11 October 2025.[37] The venue also hosted Friday Night SmackDown on 10 October 2025 and Monday Night Raw on 13 October 2025. Crown Jewel was attended by 13,683 spectators, with the combined attendance total for all three events announced to be 40,503.[38]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "First look inside Perth Arena". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ^ "Govt settles BGC arena row". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Perth Arena price tag nears $550m". PerthNow. 28 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "About the Tournament". Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "RAC Arena". Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ "Perth City Link: Reconnecting the City". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ "Wildcats owner says Perth Arena will change basketball". PerthNow. 20 April 2011. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "Perth Arena to ensure Hopman Cup stays in WA". WA Today. 20 April 2010. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "VenuesWest Media Release" (PDF). VenuesWest. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ "VenuesWest to Assume Direct Management of RAC Arena from 1 July 2026". VenuesWest. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Big player to head Perth Arena". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ "Perth Arena general manager David Humphreys dies before venue opening". PerthNow. 4 September 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "STEVE HEVERN APPOINTED INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER AT PERTH ARENA". Australasian Leisure Management. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Perth Arena Events Mode: Tennis" (PDF). VenuesWest. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
- ^ "Perth Arena Events Mode: Basketball" (PDF). VenuesWest. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
- ^ "Perth Arena Design". AEG Ogden. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
- ^ "Perth Arena costs have 'blown out', says WA auditor general". PerthNow. 10 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Perth Arena to be RAC Arena after $10 million naming rights deal". PerthNow. 19 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Telethon 2022: Countdown starts as stars prepare to return to Perth". PerthNow. 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ M, YouTube channel (25 October 2023). "The Corrs - Queen of Hollywood (Live in Perth, 25 October 2023)". YouTube.
- ^ Chris Robinson (21 November 2012). "Adelaide 36ers spoil Perth Wildcats' debut game at the new Perth Arena". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ "Record crowd at first home game". Basketball Australia. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Round 7 Stat Attack". Basketball Australia. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Perth Wildcats to open new venue with record crowd". Basketball Australia. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (7 December 2025). "Bryce Cotton leads Adelaide 36ers to miracle comeback victory over Perth Wildcats in return to WA". The West Australian. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (9 May 2024). "NBL1 West Grand Final to be played at RAC Arena as Basketball WA locks in the stadium for August". The West Australian.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "West Grand Final returns to RAC Arena". nbl1.com.au. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Ben Rothenberg (2 January 2019). "After two decades in the spotlight, Roger and Serena meet on court". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Ash Barty to play in Perth at Fed Cup final at RAC Arena". The West Australian. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ "About | United Cup | Tennis | United Cup | Tennis". United Cup. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ Staff (31 October 2017). "Western Australia gets its first UFC event with February pay-per-view card". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ Grieve, Mya (12 October 2022). "UFC Perth 2023: UFC 284 Is Coming To Perth". So Perth. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Matthew Wells (18 August 2024). "UFC 305 results: Dricus Du Plessis taps Israel Adesanya in thrilling title bout". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ Nolan King (28 September 2025). "UFC Fight Night 260 results: Carlos Ulberg crushes Dominick Reyes with violent knockout". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ "West Coast Fever: Annual Report (2018)" (PDF). Netball WA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Diamonds lose Test but retain Constellation Cup - Netball AustraliaNetball Australia". netball.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 November 2015.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (2 May 2025). "WWE Crown Jewel Perth Set To Take Place On October 11". Fightful. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Konuwa, Alfred (13 October 2025). "WWE Raw Results, Winners And Live Updates On October 13, 2025". Forbes. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- Perth Arena (archived 27 January 2013)
- AEG Worldwide
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