Optus Stadium has capped off an incredible 2021 by taking out the public vote as Australia's Best Stadium at the 2021 Stadium Awards on Austadiums.
The fan-favourite venue collected 29 per cent of the votes, ahead of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG, 21 per cent of the vote) and CommBank Stadium (12 per cent). It also claimed the top gong for Best AFL Stadium following its overwhelming success as host of the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
The 60,000 seat stadium was the only multi-category winner in this year's awards, and narrowly missing out on a trifecta, with Best Cricket Ground awarded to the MCG.
Optus Stadium had an action-packed 2021 line-up, hosting AFL's spine-tingling Dreamtime game, the AFL Preliminary Finals campaign, the Bledisloe Cup, and the coveted 2021 Toyota AFL Grant Final.
Two additional world-class VenuesWest venues received significant public support, with RAC Arena (27 per cent) coming in hot on the heels of Best Indoor Arena winner Rod Laver Arena (30 per cent).
HBF Park, which is set to host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand, was voted third best A-League Stadium in Australia.
The results echo the 92 per cent satisfaction rate recorded across all VenuesWest venues during 2020-21. About 4.2 million people attended VenuesWest venues during the year.
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
"There is no question that Optus Stadium had an incredible 2021, particularly with the hugely successful hosting of the Toyota AFL Grand Final in Perth for the first time, so it is great to see this reflected in public feedback.
"Western Australians know that we have a number of world-class venues, but these survey results are a great reminder for the rest of the country of the State's capacity to host top-tier events and experiences that fans love."
As stated by acting VenuesWest chief executive officer Janis Carren:
"To receive such fantastic public support despite the ever-changing pandemic environment is a testament to the unwavering commitment and hard work of VenuesWest and its partners at Optus Stadium and RAC Arena.
"The results speak to the fact that our world-class venues offer an unforgettable fan experience, and undeniably have the calibre to deliver nationally and internationally renowned events."
