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| RAC Arena | |
|---|---|
| Name | RAC Arena |
| Location | Perth, Western Australia |
| Opened | 2012 |
| Owner | VenuesWest |
| Capacity | 15,000 |
| Architect | ARM Architecture, Hassell |
RAC Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Perth, Western Australia, serving as a focal point for sports, music, and cultural events in the Perth central business district. The venue hosts a wide range of activities including basketball, netball, ice shows, concerts, and conventions, attracting domestic and international performers, teams, and audiences from the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia, and national circuits. It is managed by VenuesWest and has been instrumental in modernising Perth's live entertainment and sporting infrastructure.
The arena was developed in response to capacity and facility limitations at the Perth Entertainment Centre and the challenge of attracting touring productions and sporting franchises such as the National Basketball League and the Australian Football League exhibition matches. Planning involved the Government of Western Australia, the Perth City Council, the WA Performing Arts Trust and major stakeholders including Tourism Western Australia and the Western Australian Major Events Office. Construction and procurement phases engaged firms like BGC Construction and Brookfield Multiplex, with opening ceremonies attended by state officials and sports figures. Since opening, the venue has hosted touring companies from the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, as well as national competitions organised by Basketball Australia, Netball Australia and the Australian Ice Hockey League, contributing to Perth's profile in the national arts and sports circuits.
Design work was led by prominent Australian practices including ARM Architecture and Hassell, with engineering input from Arup and Aurecon, and project management by directors with experience on projects such as the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne Cricket Ground upgrades. The design incorporated input from acoustic consultants formerly associated with venues like the Royal Albert Hall, lighting designers with credits on West End and Broadway productions, and sustainability advisors who consulted on LEED and Green Star principles. Construction involved civil contractors experienced in Perth waterfront and Elizabeth Quay developments, integrating structural steel, precast concrete, and façade systems similar to recent projects at the Perth Stadium. The project navigated state procurement rules, public-private partnership negotiations, and community consultation processes with arts organisations, tourism operators and Indigenous heritage groups.
The venue offers a configurable bowl with seating capacities tailored for basketball, netball, ice shows and concerts, utilising retractable seating systems, corporate suites, hospitality lounges and broadcast facilities compliant with national television standards. Back-of-house amenities include rehearsal studios, dressing rooms used by touring orchestras and theatre companies, loading docks capable of accommodating international concert rigs, and refrigeration plantrooms for ice surfaces comparable to international ice arenas. Technical systems feature fly towers, modular floor decks, broadcast commentary boxes, LED lighting grids, Dolby and surround sound installations, and integrated ticketing and security systems interoperable with Ticketek, Ticketmaster and local box offices. Accessibility provisions were designed in consultation with disability advocacy groups and include lifts, tactile wayfinding and hearing loop systems.
Regular sporting tenants and hirers have included professional basketball franchises from the National Basketball League, national netball fixtures, exhibition ice hockey matches and boxing events sanctioned by national commissions. The arena has staged legions of concerts by international recording artists from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Europe, resident performances by family entertainment brands and touring theatrical productions from major companies. It has also hosted conventions, corporate functions, graduation ceremonies for universities such as the University of Western Australia and Curtin University, and community events organised by local councils and arts festivals like Perth Festival and Fringe World. Event partnerships have involved promoters such as Live Nation, Frontier Touring, AEG Presents and local promoters.
Located in the Perth CBD near the Elizabeth Quay precinct, the arena is accessible via Perth's public transport network including Transperth bus routes, Mandurah Line and Joondalup Line services at Perth Station and Elizabeth Quay Station, and ferry services operating on the Swan River. Road access connects to major arterial routes including the Mitchell Freeway and Kwinana Freeway, with designated pick-up/drop-off zones, taxi ranks licensed by the Department of Transport and rideshare services regulated by state legislation. Parking is supplemented by nearby commercial car parks and integrated pedestrian links to the central business district, tourist precincts, hotels and the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Since opening, the arena has contributed to Perth's live entertainment economy by attracting national tours, international artists and major sporting events, generating employment across hospitality, technical production, event staffing and tourism sectors. Partnerships with Tourism Western Australia and the Perth Convention Bureau have leveraged the venue to bid for major events, contributing to hotel occupancy, local restaurant trade and ancillary services, while collaborations with arts organisations have expanded programming for festivals and community engagement initiatives. The arena's presence has influenced urban regeneration strategies in the Perth waterfront and CBD precincts, intersecting with planning frameworks and investment by state development agencies, and stimulating debates involving heritage advocates, business chambers and cultural institutions.
Category:Sports venues in Perth, Western Australia Category:Music venues in Perth, Western Australia Category:Convention centres in Australia