Marvel Stadium redevelopment officially opens
The $225 million redevelopment of Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium has officially opened, featuring new plazas and a range of restaurants and bars.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos joined AFL CEO Andrew Dillon on Friday to unveil the new features at the Docklands venue, which is set to host a packed calendar of events all year round, kicking off with the AFL this weekend.
The taxpayer-funded redevelopment has transformed the 55,000-capacity stadium, which now features two new eye-catching Stadium Square and City Edge plazas which aim to turn the precinct into a seven-day-a-week community meeting place and build a better link between the Docklands precinct and Melbourne’s city centre.
Stadium Square provides a year-round all-weather public space that can be used for community events and markets and is a gathering place for fans with permanent bars and restaurants.
City Edge features a new concourse space on the eastern side of the stadium with new shops, bars and restaurants with Melbourne’s CBD as the stunning backdrop.
A range restaurants, bars and function spaces are also incorporated into the upgraded venue, including the stadium rooftop, which offers panoramic and dynamic views of the Melbourne City Skyline.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said, “On behalf of the AFL we sincerely thank the Victorian Government for their partnership in helping realise the dream of taking Marvel Stadium and the precinct from a place that just holds footy games and events and turning it into a destination venue that can and will operate and service Victorian’s and visitors 365 days a year.”
After recently hosting the Matildas in front of a sold out crowd of 54,124 fans and four massive P!NK concerts, the stadium upgrades are set to be experienced by AFL fans on Saturday for the first time, with the venue’s first match of the 2024 AFL season between North Melbourne and Fremantle.
The state government funding for the redevelopment of the AFL-owned stadium includes locking in the AFL Grand Final at the MCG until 2059 alongside other blockbuster AFL matches in Melbourne.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said, “Marvel Stadium is one of our biggest drawcards to help pack our major events calendar every year. These upgrades make the venue better than ever for both fans and players at sporting or major events.”
“The project will create fantastic opportunities for the Docklands precinct, establishing better links to the CBD, creating event opportunities and providing the facilities to turn the area into a place Victorians can be proud of.”
The redeveloped stadium features a range of new hospitality offerings, including Hunky Dory, 8Bit burgers, 400 Gradi Pronto, EARL Canteen, Gami Chicken, and Yamas Souvlaki.
Ahead of the venue’s first AFL game, the league also announced a price freeze for a range of popular items, after the MCG recently revealed an increase across most food and beverage items.
Marvel Stadium will have the most affordable pie of all AFL venues, with Four’N Twenty Pies priced at $4.50 (compared to $6.20 at the MCG), with Hot Chips also priced at $4.50 ($6.20 MCG) and Hot Dogs remaining at $6.00 ($6.00 MCG). Beer prices have increased at both venues, up by $1 to $11.50.
Meanwhile, the new Marvel Stadium Super-Store will soon launch at the venue – a collaboration between the AFL and Marvel. Located at Gate 5, the store will feature both AFL and Marvel items, open Monday-Friday 9-5pm and event days with extended hours.
