First look at how Accor Stadium would look with a new $250 million roof

Business leaders have backed Sports Minister Steve Kamper’s vision for a Las Vegas-style roof over Sydney’s Accor Stadium with new renders showing how it would look.

Business leaders have backed Sports Minister Steve Kamper’s vision for a Las Vegas-style roof over Sydney’s Accor Stadium with new renders showing how it would look.

Mr Kamper said a new roof at Accor “is something we’re seriously looking at” after watching the NRL double header played under the semitransparent roof at Allegiant Stadium at the weekend.

Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue chairman Christpher Brown said the estimated $250 million cost of a new roof on the original Olympic stadium at Homebush would quickly be paid off with each extra concert pumping $7 million into the NSW economy.

“How many times is Beyonce going to knock us back before we get the message that not having a covered stadium is why we do not get the big gigs,” he said.

New renders of how Accor stadium would look with a roof. Picture: Venues NSW

Taylor Swift had to cancel the opening act of the first of her four sold-out concerts after lightning threatened to cancel the show altogether. In Las Vegas the play between the Sea Eagles and the Rabbitohs and Roosters and Broncos was untroubled by 100 km/h winds outside.

“Allegiant Stadium has shown us the importance of an all weather venue,” Mr Brown said. “This is the gold standard we have to live up to.”

Venues NSW and Accor Stadium chief executive Kerrie Mather said now was the perfect opportunity to deliver on Accor stadium’s original design which had provision for a roof to be fitted.

“It would give us a unique competitive advantage both domestically and internationally to secure even more world-class artists, bands, sports and other new and exciting events,” she said.

New renders of how Accor stadium would look with a roof. Picture: Venues NSW

But the proposal received a lukewarm response from Premier Chris Minns who said yesterday that it was not a priority with estimates that a roof would cost taxpayers upwards of $200 million.

“It really comes down to the price tag and we don’t have a figure for it yet. It’s not my money, it’s the taxpayers money … it’s not cheap,” he said.

“We’ve got a budget coming up and the priority for that has got to be essential services and real recognition that cost of living for families is smashing their budget so it all has to be seen in that context,” he said.

Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said the roof would level the playing field with Melbourne where rival Marvel Stadium was named the Global Venue of the Year at TheStadiumBusiness Awards in 2019. In that year its retractable roof allowed two million fans to enjoy 55 uninterrupted events including AFL, A-League and Taylor Swift’s previous concert tour.

“A roofed stadium would help Sydney to attract huge international acts like Beyonce and Ed Sheeran or major international sporting codes such as NFL by removing the risk factor of bad weather,” he said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said a new roof at Accor Stadium would cost upwards of $200 million. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun dismissed calls for a new roof at Accor and said instead the money should be put towards a new $350 million stadium in Liverpool to provide entertainment to the 20,000 extra residents moving into the suburb every year.

“If we are going to absorb all the extra housing that this city needs we should get some of the toys that go with it,” he said.

Mr Mannoun called for a new stadium based on Phoenix Stadium in the US which has a fixed roof and rolls the pitch in for game days.

“This would be something that would serve the growing population of south west Sydney,” he said.

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