NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper wants to put a Las Vegas-inspired roof over Sydney’s Accor Stadium

The NRL’s historic Las Vegas season opener could have massive ramifications for NSW, with the government looking at a game-changing upgrade to a major venue to help win more major acts such as Beyonce.

NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper will kickstart plans to build a Las Vegas-style roof over Sydney’s Accor Stadium that could help deliver more megastar international acts and major foreign sporting events to the Harbour City.

Inspired after watching the historic NRL double-header inside Las Vegas’ 65,000-seat indoor Allegiant Stadium, Mr Kamper wants to replicate it in Sydney in a move that has the support of key business and stadium heavyweights.

Mr Kamper was stunned at the technologically-advanced domed stadium – which cost AU$3 billion to build — as it hosted two high-quality matches in ideal conditions, while 100km/h winds roared outside.

They were played under a giant semi-transparent plastic roof, designed to protect players and fans from the elements, suspended by 100 stainless steel cables.

The roof over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which the NSW Government is looking to replicate at Accor Stadium. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The roof under darkness during the NRL double header on Sunday. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

“Allegiant has a covered, basically glass roof, which isn’t totally clear so therefore you don’t see clear sky. That also protects from the hot sun, which is relevant to Accor,” Mr Kamper said.

“I had a look at what type of roof they have at Allegiant and how it potentially would suit Accor. A roof at Accor is something we’re seriously looking at.

“When they built Accor, it had provisions for a roof, whereas Allianz Stadium (at Moore Park) didn’t.”

The Allegiant Stadium roof was a remarkable backdrop for rugby league’s famous venture to Las Vegas, but Mr Kamper was equally impressed with its practical benefits.

He said the lightning which delayed and then threatened to cancel pop star Taylor Swift’s recent performance at Accor Stadium was a major reason to push for a roof over the venue.

“I remember the first night at Taylor Swift (performing in Sydney) and we thought there were going to be massive thunderstorms. Everything was out of our control.

Lightning delayed the start of Taylor Swift’s Sydney concert. Picture: Don Arnold/Getty Images

“I remember thinking: ‘Oh my God, what are we going to do?’ We were just lucky the storm clouds cleared that night.

“If you have a facility that can’t protect against that, then there’s a great chance that you could lose a lot of great performers and content that is so valuable for our economy.

“(A stadium roof) is also valuable in the sense that it’s great for our community so they can be there to witness and experience great artists we can attract because we have the covered protection.

“That’s key and has reinforced to me that it’s something we are definitely talking about and looking at.”

However, the idea was met with a tepid reaction from Premier Chris Minns who said on Monday it was not a priority and estimated a roof could cost 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.”

Premier Chris Minns has indicated that cost may be an issue in the erection of a roof. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou suggested a roof would help attract huge international acts like Beyonce and Ed Sheeran, and even major foreign sports like the NFL, by removing the risk factor of bad weather.

“This could be a game changer of massive proportions should we get a roof over one of our stadiums,” he said.

A fully enclosed stadium would help Sydney attract acts like Beyonce.

“It means we’ll be weather-proofed in the future – at the moment we’re not. It’ll be a game changer for Sydney in getting major sports and entertainers to Australia.”

Venues NSW CEO Kerrie Mather last month also threw her support behind the proposal, telling a NSW Parliament hearing a roof would “provide a massive competitive advantage…for New South Wales both domestically and internationally”.

“It would certainly enable us to compete very effectively against Melbourne. They have a number of stadiums and arenas with operable roofs and we actually have none,” she said then.

The future of the Olympic Park venue has been unclear since the government aborted a planned $800 million refurbishment that would have turned Accor Stadium into a 70,000-seat dedicated rectangular venue.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, ARL Commission chair Peter V'Landys and NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper on the field at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. Picture: NRL Photos

Mr Kamper, a staunch Dragons fan who has visited multiple sporting franchises on a comprehensive fact-finding mission to Las Vegas, stressed his government wouldn’t consider building a retractable roof in Sydney.

“It’s not retractable at Allegiant, it’s a fixed facility,” he said.

“They have parts of the roof which open for cross ventilation. It would be too expensive to make it fully retractable and I don’t know whether you really need it anyway.”

Mr Kamper got an insight into how Las Vegas hosts major events and why the city’s venues are financially viable.

“If you’re looking at promoting or organising events, or introducing positive activity for the economy, the place to be is Vegas, they do it best,” he said.

“I have visited and got ideas from a lot of different sporting codes and also visited the Las Vegas Tourism Convention Centre and attended a Vegas Golden Knights ice hockey game.

The Accor Stadium field could soon be under a giant roof. Picture: NRL photos

“I also looked at how Allegiant manages their corporate facilities. They have a nightclub in there so we could also make provision for post-event entertainment or celebrations.

“This has been such an eye-opener and I can now actually look at what we do at venues, how we manage our assets and how they attract content.

“If we manage our venues better then we’re doing better financially and therefore we have greater return and investment back into our venue portfolios.

“I’ve basically been doing what every other business enterprise will do – that’s to get out there and have a look at ideas that are important to help drive greater outcomes.

“I’ve got an enormous benefit from this trip. Unless you go and see it with your own eyes, you can’t appreciate it.”