Optus Stadium ready to kick off Australian summer of cricket
The highly anticipated Test Series between Australia and India begins in Perth on Friday, with The West Test marking the official start of the summer of cricket in Australia.
Big crowds are expected to attend the 60,000-capacity Optus Stadium for the opening ball of the summer on Friday with thousands travelling from interstate and overseas to be part of the action.
The first ball of the first test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be at 10:20am local time (1:20pm AEDT), with tickets available online through Ticketmaster.
It’s the fifth Test the stadium has hosted, with India the first touring team to play there twice, having played in the inaugural match in 2018.
The West Test Hill will again be in operation at the venue, known as Perth Stadium during the summer as due to Cricket Australia referring to it as its non-commercial name.
The fun will continue outside the Perth stadium, with a free festival celebrating India's vibrant cultures scheduled for the first three days of the test match.
The new festival is designed to enhance the fan experience and features live music, entertainment performances, an array of local Indian vendors, food experiences, cricket skills tests, art installations, and more.
Fans attending Day 2 on Saturday, 23 November will also be able to cross Matagarup Bridge after play concludes and head to the WACA Ground, where they can show their West Test ticket to redeem six complimentary tickets to the Women's Big Bash League|10 Celebration Match, between the Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes.
The test match is the first of five against India this summer, with matches also to be played at the Adelaide Oval, Gabba, MCG and SCG.
The West Test and the supporting festival form part of a huge weekend of events in Perth, with the rescheduled WA Day Festival taking place at Burswood Park, as well as the World Supercross Championship at HBF Park and PrideFEST 2024 in Northbridge.
The event forms part of the WA Government's events strategy which seeks to add further value to major events, with surrounding activities to drive higher out-of-state visitor attendance, increase economic impact, enhance the visitor experience, foster community vibrancy and create a diverse calendar of events that is always on, year round.
Major regional and mass participation events injected $286 million into the WA economy in 2023-24.
The West Test Summer Fest is supported by the WA Government, in partnership with Cricket Australia and WA Cricket.
Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman said, “It's the most wonderful time of the year, with cricket season officially starting on Friday, and we're thrilled that the nation's summer of test cricket is launching right here in Perth.
“With our Australian men's team taking on cricketing giant India, The West Test Summer Fest offering a vibrant atmosphere, and the Women's Big Bash League celebrating 10 years, this weekend is a fantastic time for cricket fans to get out and about to watch some world-class sport.”
