ANZ Stadium prepares to mark 20 Years of Blood, Sweat and Cheers

As it prepares to celebrate its 20-year milestone on 6th March 2019, ANZ Stadium has unveiled a spectacular mural on its front windows showcasing the most memorable moments of the past two decades.

Produced by Parramatta-based company Senses Direct, the spectacular artwork features unforgettable events that have become part of part of Australia’s sporting folklore.

There’s Cathy Freeman’s dash that unified the nation, the John Aloisi penalty shootout heart-stopper that broke the Socceroos’ 32-year World Cup hoodoo, the exhilaration and despair of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, the Rabbitohs winning their first NRL title in 43 years, and so many legends created in the heat of battle in Grand Finals, Origin showdowns, Bledisloe Cup Test matches and Socceroos internationals.

Global music acts such as U2, AC/DC, Adele and Ed Sheeran are also recognised on the artwork.

Senses Direct Managing Director Mark Mina commented “it has been a privilege contributing to the celebration of 20 years of magical moments at ANZ Stadium, Sydney’s major event stadium.

“The artwork that is now displayed on the front windows of ANZ Stadium will bring back wonderful memories for so many people in NSW. We all have our favourite memories from the Stadium over 20 years and this artwork showcases an important part of Sydney’s history.”

ANZ Stadium/VenuesLive General Manager Media and Communications, Arthur Stanley advised “the Stadium’s journey has been Sydney’s journey and the 28 million people who have passed through the turnstiles since the doors opened on 6th March 1999 have all taken a seat in history.”

Purpose built as the main stadium and centrepiece for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, ANZ Stadium (also known as Stadium Australia) was the centrepiece in a major urban renewal project unveiled in what is now known as Sydney Olympic Park.

20 years on, ANZ Stadium stands as a Olympic Games landmark and an enduring symbol of Sydney’s coming of age as a global city. The 2000 Games were transformational for Sydney and ANZ Stadium (now owned and overseen by its governing body Venues NSW) is the primary bearer of the legacy. As a grand stage for Sydney’s major sports and entertainment calendar, ANZ Stadium has attracted world and Australian record attendances for rugby league, rugby union, AFL, football, and music and entertainment events since its opening in March 1999.

The opening event was an NRL double-header featuring Manly v Newcastle and Parramatta v St George Illawarra. It drew a mammoth crowd of 104,583 – the highest rugby league crowd in history at that time.

The highest attendance at the Stadium was the 112,524 who packed in on 25th September 2000 – the night Cathy Freeman raced in to Australian sporting immortality.

The highest attendance in the current ANZ Stadium configuration was the 98,364 who attended the second Adele concert in 2017, while for a sporting event in the current configuration the highest attendance was the 83,833 who turned out for the 2014 NRL Grand Final between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

ANZ Stadium employs more than 100 fulltime staff members and approximately 1800 casual workers. More than half of this workforce resides in Western Sydney.

18 members of the pioneer permanent team and 45 casual employees have been part of the Stadium journey since 1999.

Click here to contact Senses Direct via their Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory entry.

Image (from left); Senses Direct Managing Director Mark Mina; Senses Direct Business Development Manager Ian Fulton and ANZ Stadium/VenuesLive General Manager Media and Communications Arthur Stanley. Courtesy of Mark & Jenny Evans.