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Construction and Opening

People First Stadium is a world-class sporting and entertainment venue located on the Gold Coast. Originally constructed in 1986 and opened the following year as Carrara Oval, the venue became home to the Brisbane Bears after the club was granted a license to play in the VFL. During this time, the ground’s record crowd was set in 1989 when 18,198 fans attended the Bears’ match against Geelong. Following declining attendance, the Bears relocated to The Gabba in 1993, and the venue was later sold to the Gold Coast City Council.

history

2018 Commonwealth Games

In 2011, the venue underwent a $144 million redevelopment and reopened as Carrara Stadium, a 22,500-seat facility purpose-built for the Gold Coast Suns AFL team. The stadium’s transformation continued when it became the main venue for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, hosting athletics events as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Capacity was temporarily expanded to 40,000 for the Games, and the redevelopment saw the construction of new grandstands and a continuous roof structure around the southern end.

history

 

With a capacity of 27,500, the venue hosts a diverse range of content including AFL, cricket, concerts, music festivals, soccer, and athletics events.

Having served as the main stadium for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, hosting the athletics, opening and closing ceremonies, the venue has also huge international acts including Queen, P!NK, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney and Harry Styles.

People First Stadium is the proud home ground of the Gold Coast SUNS AFL and AFLW teams.

From 1 March 2026, Stadiums Queensland assumed management of the venue, marking the beginning of a new chapter in its evolution.