Sydney Olympic Stadium: Is it worth doing a gantry tour?

A gantry tour of the Sydney Olympic Stadium – now known as Stadium Australia – is a good way to get a camera operator’s view of a major sporting arena.

It should perhaps be the vertiginous views down over the pitch that strike first. But it’s the dirt and pigeon droppings that grab the attention. This is a thought that strikes up in the gantry, a would-be privileged perch at the top of Stadium Australia. The biggest stadium in Sydney, this is where the 2000 Olympics and 2003 Rugby World Cup final were held. But it’s so big, and made up of so many different parts, that keeping it clean is something of a nightmare. And the bits that people ordinarily can’t see are left.

“We had to clean up here twice,” says the tour guide. “Once for the Rugby World Cup and once for a FIFA inspection. It’s a nightmare.”

Why do the Sydney Olympic Stadium gantry tour?

You’d not notice this, of course, from the seats below. But the whole point of the gantry tour is to give some behind-the-scenes insights into how such a mammoth venue operates. But it’s the logistical detail that ends up being more fascinating than the unexpectedly prosaic changing rooms and media area. The latter is set up almost entirely for functionality, so different TV companies can get their cameras, wiring, laptops and other gadgetry in and out as efficiently as possible. It’s all about things that can be moved and repurposed rather than shiny, glitzy glamour.

Nowadays, the stadium hosts a ragtag collection of events – some rugby league, some Aussie Rules football, some rugby union internationals and a few music concerts. It’s the latter, perhaps surprisingly, involve the biggest logistical headaches.

“You’d be amazed at the amount of setting up the Andre Rieu concert took. He basically brought a castle with him, says the guide. “For comparison, he brought 180 containers with him and U2 brought just 80.”

The gantry is mainly for the maintenance teams, although the TV cameras also come up here on match days. You can see through the grille you’re walking on, and it’s not for anyone who’s afraid of heights.

Sydney Olympic Stadium from a different perspective

Taking a gantry tour of the Sydney Olympic Stadium makes you see it from a different perspective. You suddenly find yourself asking about how many people work there on any given event. It can often be around 3,000. Then how does catering cope with demand? Attention to detail has to be huge. It only takes a backlog in the washing up for the whole catering side of things to descend into chaos.

If dealing with a crowd of 80,000 people at one of the biggest stadiums in Australia, so many of those mundane things have to be kept under keen watch. And it’s this mundanity and attention to detail, rather than the special views, that make a gantry tour of the Sydney Olympic Stadium worth doing.

Where is Stadium Australia in Sydney?

Stadium Australia can be found in the Western Sydney suburb of Homebush, on the banks of the Parramatta River. Tours cost $49, making it considerably cheaper than climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The journey from Sydney Central Station is 16.5km long, and should take about 23 minutes in a taxi.

Other things to do in Western Sydney include flying with jetpacks in Penrith and patting koalas at Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside. If it’s the Olympics, you’re interested in, the 2032 Olympics will be held in Brisbane.

More Australian sporting arenas

Barefoot bowling in St Kilda, Melbourne

What is the biggest sports stadium in Australia?

Climbing the roof of the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide.

Play golf at the Heritage Golf and Country Club in Chirnside Park.

The Bradman Oval in Bowral, Southern Highlands.