Known commercially as Optus Stadium but retained as “Perth Stadium” for international cricket under Cricket Australia’s naming conventions, this Burswood venue is one of the youngest major grounds in world cricket — and already one of the most highly regarded.
A Long Road to Burswood
Plans for a new major stadium in Perth had circulated for years, with earlier proposals considering sites in Subiaco and East Perth before the Burswood location was confirmed in June 2011. Built by a consortium led by construction firm Multiplex, the stadium was completed in late 2017 and officially opened on 21 January 2018.
Its total capacity stands at 61,266 including standing room, making it the third-largest stadium in Australia behind only the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney’s Stadium Australia. For cricket specifically, capacity is generally cited at around 60,000, with the ground designed so it can be extended to as many as 65,000–70,000 seats when configured for rectangular sports like rugby and football.
Straight Into International Action
Perth Stadium wasted no time establishing itself on the international stage. Its first major cricketing event was an ODI between Australia and England on 28 January 2018 — England won the match by 12 runs — making it the 19th Australian venue to host a One Day International. Later that year, on 14 December 2018, the stadium hosted its first Test match, a contest between Australia and India. It went on to host its first day-night Test in December 2019, against New Zealand, becoming the fourth Australian venue to stage a pink-ball fixture.
The stadium has since taken over as the primary Perth venue for the Australian national team across all formats, effectively succeeding the historic WACA Ground, which had hosted Test cricket in the city for decades prior.
Home to the Perth Scorchers
Perth Stadium is the home ground of the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League, who relocated there in the 2018–19 season after previously playing at the WACA. The Scorchers have gone on to become the most successful franchise in Big Bash League history, winning five titles and reaching three further finals — a run of success that has coincided closely with the team’s move into this state-of-the-art venue.
Beyond the Scorchers, the stadium also serves as the home ground for Western Australia’s two AFL clubs, the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Football Club, both of which relocated from the historic Subiaco Oval.
Recognised for Design and Fan Experience
Since opening, Optus Stadium has picked up significant acclaim purely for its design. It was named the Most Beautiful Sport Facility in the World in 2019, and won Venue of the Year honours in 2022. Its roof, nicknamed the “Falcon’s Nest,” is one of its most distinctive architectural features, engineered with 85% of permanent seats protected under cover.
The stadium was also designed with accessibility and inclusivity as priorities from the outset, featuring dedicated sensory rooms for patrons with sensory sensitivities, more than 60 universal accessible toilets, and multiple Changing Places facilities — details that set it apart from many older-generation stadiums built without such considerations.
Pitch and Playing Conditions
The pitch at Perth Stadium generally presents a bat-first surface where teams can post competitive totals, though there is meaningful assistance available for pace bowlers, particularly with the new ball. Data from Big Bash League matches shows that teams batting first have won the majority of contests at the venue, with an average first-innings score in the mid-160s — among the higher figures recorded across BBL venues, reflecting the ground’s reputation as a genuine hitters’ paradise once batters get set.
A New-Generation Icon
In under a decade, Perth Stadium has gone from empty plans on a drawing board to one of the most talked-about venues in Australian sport — a ground that manages to blend cutting-edge design with the kind of electric atmosphere that older stadiums took generations to build. For visiting teams and travelling fans alike, a trip to Perth for cricket now means a trip to one of the finest modern sporting arenas anywhere in the world.
