A new video screen has been unveiled at Accor Stadium as part of a wide-ranging digital upgrade project at the Sydney venue.
The Great Southern Screen, which is 120m long by 10m high, was officially switched on by Stuart Ayres, Minister for Tourism and Sport in New South Wales.
The screen forms part of more than A$10m (£5.5m/€6.6m/$7.2m) of fan-focused digital upgrades throughout the 80,000-seat Accor Stadium, which is located in the Sydney Olympic Park.
Plans for the new video screen were first unveiled in August. The screen is the longest HD straight-run stadium video display in the world.
The unveiling of the screen comes ahead of the opening round of the AFL season this weekend, with the Greater Western Sydney Giants to take on the Sydney Swans in a derby match at Accor Stadium. The stadium will also host the NRL’s Canterbury Bulldogs and an Australia FIFA World Cup qualifier later this month.
The screen was delivered, installed and commissioned by Daktronics Australia and planned by global architectural design firm Populous
“We are continuing to invest in Sydney’s major event venue to ensure the people of NSW are given the best live stadium experience in Australia and we attract the biggest names in sport, music and arts from all across the globe to New South Wales,” said Ayres.
“Fans at Accor Stadium are set to enjoy a live game-day experience like never before starting this weekend with the AFL’s Sydney Derby, followed by the NRL’s Bulldogs and Broncos clash, with the Great Southern Screen now in operation.”
Daryl Kelly, chief executive of Accor Stadium, added: “The run of events in March is just the beginning of a packed calendar of events at Accor Stadium this year with State of Origin I in June and two huge concerts featuring global acts Guns N’ Roses and Foo Fighters already announced for later in the year.”
Hotel group Accor acquired naming rights to the stadium back in November. The venue was previously known as ANZ Stadium.
The stadium had been set for a major redevelopment project before the New South Wales government announced in 2020 that it would no longer proceed with the plans, with funds to be redirected towards job-creating infrastructure projects in a bid to boost the local economy following COVID-19.
The Accor Stadium revamp had been due to form part of a wider infrastructure project in Sydney that also included the rebuilding of the city’s Allianz Stadium. Allianz Stadium has already been demolished and is set to reopen this year.
Image: Accor Stadium
