The Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC) is an indoor arena located in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is used for sporting and entertainment events. It is the principal venue for concerts, events and attractions for audiences between 1,000 and 11,300.[3]
It is located on Port Road in the suburb of Hindmarsh, just north-west of the Adelaide city centre. With modern architecture and acoustics, function rooms and catering, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre provides a live entertainment venue for hundreds of thousands of people each year.
In 2010 the Adelaide Entertainment Centre completed a $52million redevelopment with a new entry and theatre complex.
History
The AEC was established by the Government of South Australia in response to rising demand from the people of South Australia (primarily Adelaide) for a suitable venue for international and local popular entertainment and sport. The 3,500 capacity Apollo Stadium, which had been Adelaide's primary entertainment and indoor sports venue since 1969, was increasingly considered to be too small to meet this need and by the end of the 1980s many international music acts were bypassing Adelaide (especially in the winter months) on their Australian tours due to the lack of a suitable indoor venue (the only other viable indoor venues in Adelaide were the Adelaide Festival Centre or the Thebarton Theatre, both of which only held 2,000 which was even less than the Apollo's capacity). To meet the demand for a new indoor venue that could hold upwards of 10,000 people, the AEC was announced in late 1989 and would be built at a cost of AU$44 million.
Building for the venue began in early 1990 and involved the excavation of 75,200 tonnes of earth and the pouring of 36,480 tonnes of concrete, the largest concrete pour in South Australia at the time, as well as over 750,000 hours on construction. The Main Arena floor is 65.4 metres by 42.1 metres and the roof height is approximately 20 metres from the Arena floor (approximately the height of a 5-storey building). The clear span of the Arena is 85 metres, the 8 roof trusses weighed a total of 216 tonnes and 980 tonnes of structural steel was used in the construction. The Adelaide Entertainment Centre was officially opened on 20 July 1991[4] by John Bannon, the then Premier of South Australia.
Before the AEC was built it was generally believed by the people of Adelaide that it would also be the new home of the Adelaide 36ers who played in the National Basketball League as they played their home games at Apollo and a move there when it opened seemed natural as ticket demand for the 36ers was more than twice what the old stadium could hold. This speculation was also fuelled by the success of other teams in the NBL, namely the Brisbane Bullets, Perth Wildcats, and Sydney Kings who had all moved into their respective cities larger Entertainment Centres and were attracting record crowds. However, both the 36ers and their then owner the Basketball Association of South Australia wanted their own venue that would provide a home for basketball in SA, and thus the AU$16 million, 8,000 seat Clipsal Powerhouse (Renamed to Titanium Security Arena, and then to Adelaide Arena in 2019) was opened in 1992.
In 2019, the Adelaide 36ers announced that the Adelaide Entertainment Centre would be the new home of the Adelaide 36ers NBL team. The Adelaide Entertainment Centre has capacity to hold 10,000 Basketball fans.
The South Australian Government assigned responsibility for the management of the AEC to the Grand Prix Board in 1989. In August 1998, the Government established the Adelaide Entertainments Corporation. The first board of directors for the AEC was formally appointed on 9 February 1999. The current Board consists of seven Directors.
The centre after renovation (2012)
In 2007, the Rann Government announced plans to renovate the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Government released the statement: "The State Government is committed to the vision of creating a vibrant entertainment and media precinct on the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Site". On 6 August 2007, the renovation plans were passed and construction began on the $52 million upgrade. Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said: "the upgrade comes on the back of a record-breaking last 12 months, with more than 370,000 passing through the centre's doors, and record profits recorded."[citation needed]
The renovation included: major upgrades of the foyer, backstage area and corporate facilities; creation of additional car parking; new staging and curtains; renovation of administration areas; and restoration of the heritage-listed Revelations Chapel for use as a wedding and function venue. In the main arena itself 8,000 new seats were also installed.
The centre not only holds music and cultural events, but hosts the occasional sporting event such as netball, as well as Professional Wrestling with the World Wrestling Entertainment using the venue for the Adelaide leg of their Australian tours since 2004.
On 7 November 2010, the centre played host to the ANZ Championship grand final between local team the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic team from New Zealand. The Thunderbirds won the grand final 52–42 in front of 9,300 fans.[5] The Entertainment Centre was chosen over the Thunderbirds home venue of ETSA Park which only holds 3,200 and their former alternate venue, Titanium Security Arena, due to its ability to hold more spectators and because ticket demand was more than the Titanium's 8,000 capacity.
The centre also hosted the opening two games of the 2012 Holden Netball Quad-Series in a double header with Australia taking on England and New Zealand taking on South Africa.
On 14 July 2013, the AEC hosted its second ANZ Championship grand final when the Thunderbirds hosted the Queensland Firebirds. The T-Birds kept their winning record at the venue when they defeated the Firebirds 50–48 in front of 9,000 fans. Since 2018, the Thunderbirds have utilised the Entertainment Centre as an alternate home venue.
On 4 October 2014, Miley Cyrus performed in the Entertainment Centre during the Bangerz Tour for the second time since her last sold-out show in 2011 during her Gypsy Heart Tour.
On 18 October 2023, Paul McCartney performed at the arena for the first show of the Australian leg of his Got Back Tour.
On 11 January 2024, the Adelaide 36ers set their all time home attendance record when 9,580 fans saw them take on reigning NBLchampions, the Sydney Kings.[6]
The footprint of the site is 28,900 square metres (2.89ha) (approx 7 acres), and includes a large foyer area, a 2,680-square-metre (28,800sqft) event arena, seven function rooms, car parking, logistic facilities and administrative offices. The arena is the largest auditorium in South Australia.[citation needed]
The centre it is capable of operating in several different modes, including an 'intimate' mode (2,000–4,500 patrons), end stage mode (4,500–7,500 patrons) and '360-degree' mode. With a general admission floor and Corporate-level seating, the maximum capacity of the AEC of 11,300, making it the third-largest permanent indoor arena in Australia behind Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena (21,032) and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (14,500), and the fifth-largest Australian arena behind the Sydney Super Dome (Qudos), Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena (16,200), the Perth Arena (14,856) and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (both the Rod Laver and Perth arenas are retractable roof venues).[8]
The AEC has a complete in-house catering operation that provides for audience food and beverage requirements, as well as banquet, function, seminar, tradeshow, corporate suites and backstage requirements. The AEC also provides corporate hospitality in the form of 31 suites that are leased on a 2–5-year basis.[citation needed]
Functions
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre holds various functions throughout the year for corporate clients and private hirers including gala banquets, dinners, breakfasts, conferences, weddings and wedding ceremonies. The Arena can accommodate a banquet for up to 1000 guests.
The AEC is also home to the Revelations Chapel which is heritage listed and non-denominational. This venue can host both wedding ceremonies and functions.
Car parks
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre has more than 1,400 car park spaces available on site for concert-goers. Entry or exit is via Mary Street, Manton Street or Adam Street only. A$18 parking fee applies for event parking.[9]
Transport
A tram service operates from Glenelg via the Adelaide city centre, free of charge to and from the city. A taxi stand is situated on Port Road next to the main entrance of the AEC. Bus stops are located on Port Road and Manton Street (rear of the AEC). The Bowden railway station is located within a minute's walk from the main entrance of the AEC.
Newcastle Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose Australian arena within the Newcastle Showground. It was opened in 1992.
Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year.
Sydney Entertainment Centre, later known as Qantas Credit Union Arena, was a multi-purpose arena located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in May 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished in 1970 to make way for the Eastern Suburbs railway line. The centre was owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administered the neighbouring Darling Harbour area, and managed under a lease.
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Brisbane suburb of Boondall, Queensland, Australia. The centre is managed by ASM Global. The centre also houses a sporting complex and small function rooms which are available to hire for wedding reception and business functions.
The Derwent Entertainment Centre (DEC), known commercially as MyState Bank Arena since 2021, is Tasmania's largest indoor arena, serving as Hobart's primary location for large indoor sporting events, functions and live entertainment. Commissioned by the Tasmanian Government and the Glenorchy City Council, the DEC served as the home arena for the Hobart Devils in the NBL from 1989 until 1996, when the team's licence was revoked. Subsequently, between 1997 and 1998, ownership was transferred entirely to the City of Glenorchy, where it became a financial burden and incurred significant maintenance expenses for Glenorchy taxpayers, while seeing limited use. As the largest enclosed multipurpose venue in Tasmania, the DEC has hosted many Australian and international musical acts, including Kylie Minogue, Bob Dylan, Carole King, The Corrs, James Brown, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Blondie and The Beach Boys.
The Adelaide 36ers are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in the state's capital of Adelaide. The club was originally called the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the NBL in 1982, but changed their name to the 36ers the following year. The 36ers nickname comes from the fact that the Colony of South Australia was officially proclaimed on 28 December 1836. Since 2019, the 36ers play their home games at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The Dome at Crown Perth was a multi-purpose indoor arena used for sports and entertainment. The dome was 8,800 square metres (95,000 sq ft) in size, with seating for 13,600 people. The whole arena was pressurised so that the fibreglass roof was suspended 35 metres (115 ft) above the ground.
The Adelaide Lightning is an Australian professional women's basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The club is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The club was formed in 1993 and they play in the 8,000-seat Titanium Security Arena.
The Sydney SuperDome is a multipurpose arena located in Sydney Olympic Park suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Spark Arena is a multipurpose arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The venue is located at Quay Park, Parnell, very close to Britomart Transport Centre and The Strand Station. The arena cost approximately $94 million, and of this sum ratepayers contributed $68 million for the facility to be managed by QPAM, the NZ operator, in New Zealand's first big public-private partnership. This runs for 40 years before ownership is transferred to the city.
Adelaide Arena is a multipurpose indoor sports stadium located in Findon, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
The Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre is a sports administration and training facility located in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Australia. The facility opened in 1956 as an aquatic centre for the 1956 Olympic Games. In 1983, the Olympic-sized pool was replaced with a parquetry floor and the facility became Melbourne's home of numerous basketball events until 1998, most notably as the home venue for several National Basketball League teams including the North Melbourne Giants and Melbourne Tigers. The venue served as Melbourne's primary indoor concert arena from 1984 to 1988, until completion of the Rod Laver Arena.
The State Sports Centre is a multi-use indoor arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and was opened in November 1984. With a total of 3,854 fixed and retractable seats the main arena is a focal point of the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. An additional 1,152 portable seats can be accommodated on the floor level to bring seated capacity to 5,006.
Wollongong Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Perth 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 is the first stage of the Perth City Link, a 13.5-hectare (33-acre) major urban renewal and redevelopment project which involves the sinking of the Fremantle railway line to link the Perth central business district directly with Northbridge.
Bendigo Stadium is an Australian sports and entertainment centre in Bendigo, Victoria. The stadium is home to the Bendigo Braves (NBL1) and Bendigo Spirit (WNBL). It held basketball matches during the 2006 Commonwealth Games and would have held netball during the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but Victoria withdrew their hosting rights in 2023. The stadium's facilities include ten indoor sports courts, major exhibition and function areas, a licensed clubroom and associated administration facilities.
The Chandler Arena is an indoor sports venue, located in the suburb of Chandler in Brisbane, Queensland. It has a seating capacity of 2,700, and hosts netball, basketball, indoor soccer, badminton and volleyball.
Apollo Stadium was a multi-purpose indoor arena located at 41 Kingston Avenue, Richmond, South Australia, just 5 minutes from the Adelaide city centre. The stadium had an original seating capacity of 4,000 until the early 1980s when the bench seats were replaced by individual plastic seats giving a reduced seating capacity of 3,000 and an overall capacity of just 3,500.
John Cain Arena is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located within Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the second-largest venue and show court for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam professional tennis tournament held each calendar year. The arena also hosts various other sporting and entertainment events throughout the year.
The Queensland State Netball Centre, also known commercially as Nissan Arena, is a multi-purpose facility located in the southern Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The centre features a 5,000 seat indoor arena that is the home court of Super Netball team the Queensland Firebirds, as well as National Basketball League club the Brisbane Bullets. It is the administrative headquarters of Netball Queensland and provides training facilities for elite-level and community-based netball clubs in Queensland.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
