RAC Arena management defends hosting of Kylie Minogue concert clash with Perth Wildcats NBL finals fixture

Michael Scott, General Manager of Perth’s RAC Arena, has defended the venue’s decision to hand the venue to Kylie Minogue’s entourage this week in advance of a concert by the veteran pop star this Saturday.

The move will see 10-time NBL champions the Wildcats locked out of the 13,500-seat venue for the week with their NBL finals series game against South East Melbourne Phoenix this Tuesday to be played at the 4,000 seat Perth High Performance Centre (Perth HPC)/HBF Stadium.

Frustrated at this, Wildcats owner Mark Arena today took to social media to state, admitting the club “got screwed” when sent to the smaller Perth HPC venue – at a cost of almost $500,000 to the club.

In response, a statement from the RAC Arena today advised that “as the operator of RAC Arena, it is our responsibility to curate a diverse range of content across all genres, ensuring that all Western Australians have the opportunity to experience live entertainment and sport.

“It’s an incredible win for Perth that Australian icon, Kylie Minogue, has chosen to kick off her global Tension Tour in our fine city.”

In comments attributed to Scott, he explained “it’s a huge moment. We’re excited that international superstar and homegrown icon, Kylie, will be here to share the opening night of her world tour!

“Given Perth is the very first date of the tour, the RAC Arena has been booked for months in advance for production rehearsals prior to the first show, which is very common for artists to do at the start of a global tour.”

The statement went on to advise “the venue’s priority is always to accommodate as many events as possible for the fans of our great state; however, it remains the hirer’s responsibility to provide the necessary details to secure their preferred dates.

“The Perth Wildcats were provided with RAC Arena’s date availability for potential finals games in October 2024, and again in January 2025. At no point was February 11 available and the club did not indicate any potential scheduling conflicts nor formally request to hold any dates.

“RAC Arena, together with VenuesWest and its partners, have worked diligently to ensure that a game can still take place in Perth, and we thank the team at Perth High Performance Centre for assisting us in finding a resolution.”

Scott added “I can’t wait to see Kylie in concert, and it’s fantastic that Perth fans feel the same way, coming out so strongly in support and selling out the show.

“As well as the other incredible array of acts coming throughout February and March including Bryan Adams, New Order, Falling In Reverse, Cody Johnson, and comedians Sarah Millican and Russell Peters.”

RAC Arena is scheduled to host a concert by Canadian rocker Bryan Adams this evening.