Gold Coast Arena

  • Project typeBusiness & economic development
  • Project schedulePlanning: 2024-25 | Construction starts: 2026-27 | Delivery: 2028-29
Gold Coast Arena artist impression

An enclosed world-class entertainment and sports arena is proposed for the Gold Coast. It will be the next city-shaping project to:

  • meet the needs of our growing resident and visitor populations
  • establish our city as one of Australia's entertainment capitals.

The proposed arena would host premium live music performances, sports, comedy and esports. We are currently missing out on these high-value events because we don’t have a suitable indoor venue for audiences of up to 12,000 spectators.

After site investigations, Council has provided in principle support for an arena at Carey Park, Southport. It will encourage investment in the CBD, create hundreds of jobs and boost our visitor economy. 

Have your say on the Gold Coast Arena

Help shape this opportunity for the city. Consultation is open from 7 November to 9 December 2024. Have your say on the Gold Coast Arena

Benefits for the community

  • Bring significant economic, social and creative benefits to the city and broader region
  • Help attract the most in-demand international and national music acts, major sporting events and family entertainment to the city.
  • Create 1800 jobs for Queenslanders during construction and 740 full-time jobs during operation
  • Generate $1.5 billion in economic output over the first 10 years
  • Inject $700 million value added into the economy over 10 years
  • Host up to 80 major events each year
  • Support and attract local businesses
  • Invigorate further investment in the CBD and boost the visitor economy
  • Host some of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games sports and culture events

Project status

The future Gold Coast Arena is intended to be delivered and operated by a private investor which will be decided through our commercial transactions process.

We are in the planning phase and aim to start construction in 2026–2027. We expect there will be a 2-to-3-year construction period with delivery in 2028–2029.

The estimated construction cost is $480 million.

Next steps

We will continue to work with the Queensland government on site ownership options to support an arena at Carey Park.

A report on the community consultation outcomes and market sounding for the Carey Park location will be presented to Council in early 2025. Council will then consider next steps.

Opportunity for Southport

  • Enhance Southport’s role as a CBD to reach its potential as a creative, economic and knowledge hub
  • Create a new destination in Southport and the city
  • Better connect the iconic Broadwater Parklands to the CBD
  • Foster local identity and civic pride

Why Carey Park?

  • Located next to the iconic Broadwater, Carey Park is in the Gold Coast CBD Priority Development Area
  • Easy access with three light rail stations, many bus routes, CBD carparking, major arterial roads and a ferry service
  • An opportunity to reinvigorate Southport
  • Prominent and visually appealing site
  • Event ready area – further strengthening the creative and visitor economies
  • Close to dining, bars, retail, recreation and accommodation options before and after events
  • Existing live music scene reinforced by the Special Entertainment Precinct status
  • Complement the Broadwater Parklands, home to some of the city’s most popular outdoor events
  • Significant city-shaping and placemaking opportunities

Background

In 2023, we engaged with the live music industry through a 'problem and opportunity statement' process to identify potential sites suitable for an arena.

In May 2024, Council provided in principle support for a Gold Coast Arena at Carey Park, Southport. We are now assessing the opportunity for Southport.

If an indoor entertainment arena is to progress, there would be extensive investigation and due diligence to manage community facilities and existing infrastructure.