Renewed calls to put roof on Accor Stadium
A roof over Accor Stadium is back on the agenda, following the NRL’s Vegas season-opener, with new renders showing how the stadium would look.
NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper said a new roof at Accor Stadium “is something we’re seriously looking at” after watching the start of the NRL season played under the semitransparent roof at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.
A roof has long been spoken about at the Sydney Olympic Park venue, including a retractable roof back in 2013 as part of a masterplan for the stadium, and more recently in 2021, with a $120 million roof proposed for the venue after its major redevelopment was scrapped in 2020.
Last month, Taylor Swift’s first of four sold-out concerts at Accor Stadium was impacted by Sydney’s inclement weather, with the support act cancelled as lightning threatened to cancel the show altogether. It eventually got underway after a significant delay.
In Las Vegas on Sunday, the opening game of the NRL season between the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs was never in doubt inside Allegiant Stadium despite a desert storm outside producing 100km/h winds and causing damage around Vegas.
It's hoped a roof would mean future events and concerts would be weather-proofed, hopefully enticing large acts to the city.
According to media reports, a roof could cost upwards of $250 million to cover the 80,000-capacity stadium, but business leaders believe it would be quickly paid off, with each concert injecting $7 million into the NSW economy.
However, despite the renewed calls for a roof, the NSW Premier remains tight-lipped over the plans.
He told the Today Show on Nine he didn't have any official announcements to make, but said his government was looking at the idea closely.
“I don't want to say we're not going ahead with it, but like all these things, it's not my money, it's taxpayer money,” he said.
“We need to make sure it's spent wisely and we don't have the price tag on it yet.
“I don't have an announcement this morning, but we're looking at it closely.”
Venues NSW and Accor Stadium chief executive Kerrie Mather said now was the perfect opportunity to deliver on Accor stadium’s original design which had provision for a roof to be fitted.
“It would give us a unique competitive advantage both domestically and internationally to secure even more world-class artists, bands, sports and other new and exciting events,” she said.
