Adelaide Entertainment Centre - Arena

Home team:  Adelaide 36ers NBL team and Adelaide Thunderbirds

Open date: 20 July 1991

Seating capacity: 11,300

Official address: 98 Port Rd, Hindmarsh SA 5007, Australia

An indoor arena nestled in Australia's southern capital, the Adelaide Entertainment Center (AEC) is used for everything from sporting to entertainment events. Over the years it has existed, it has grown to become a principal convergence point for concerts and attractions for audiences between the 2,000 and 12,000 thresholds.

Thanks to modern architecture and acoustics, the facility has function rooms, award-winning restauranteering provisions, and an undeniably general allure. Every year, it provides live entertainment spectacles for hundreds of thousands of people. Located along Port Road in the suburban settlement of Hindmarsh, the complex is one of the area’s best venues yet.

The AEC can operate in several modes: intimate, end-stage, and 360-degree, each of which has its patron seating capacity cap. It has a general admission floor and corporate-level seating. At 11,300, it is Australia's third-largest permanent indoor arena and the country's fifth-largest permanent indoor arena.

What’s more, the Adelaide Entertainment Center has a fully equipped catering division that provides food and beverages for audiences at events such as banquets, seminars, corporate suites, trade shows, and backstage activities. Corporate hospitality is also available; 31 suites are leased on a 2 to 5-year basis.

Evolution of the Adelaide Center

The state government set up the Adelaide Entertainment Center to meet South Australians' demands for a befitting venue for local and international entertainment.

The Apollo Stadium, a 3,500-capacity center, had long (since 1969) been Adelaide’s predominant indoor venue for sports and other forms of mass entertainment. However, it became too small to keep meeting fans' rapidly growing seating needs.

The AEC was eventually erected to the tune of $44 million. It was opened officially on 20th July 1991 by John Bannon, who was the Premier of South Australia as of then. The government assigned management responsibilities to the Grand Prix Board in 1989.

Roughly a decade later, the State formed the Adelaide Entertainment Corporation and appointed the Center’s first board of seven-man directors. This heralded a new era for the venue, as it was well on its way to becoming a contemporary piece of building engineering.

In 2007, the Rann government set out to renovate, in line with its commitment to help create a boiling-point media and entertainment precinct on the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Site. The renovation plans passed reading, and $52 million worth of construction started in August 2007.

The rejig included a major upgrade of the facility’s backstage, corporate spaces, and foyer. It also created extra car parking space, new staging curtains, renovation of administration areas, and restoration of the Revelation Chapel for wedding and business functions. 8,000 new seats were installed in the main area, too.

The Adelaide Entertainment Center holds not just musical and cultural occasions but also, from time to time, sporting events like netball and professional wrestling under the auspices of the WWE.

Events at the Adelaide Center

In November 2010, it hosted the much-favored ANZ Championship grand finale, a clash between its local team, the Adelaide Thunderbirds, and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magica from New Zealand. The Thunderbird won the game with a 52-42 scoreline and 9,300 fans.

The Adelaide Entertainment Center was chosen over the Thunderbirds' unusual alternate venue, the Adelaide Arena. This was done because the former could hold many more spectators; the latter’s 8,000 seating capacity paled in comparison to the skyrocketing ticket demands.

Some of the upcoming events at the center are quite interesting at face value, with a list that features some of the industry's most anticipated games and best-known acts.

Besides hosting sporting events like The Human League, names like Pantera, Daniel O’Donnell, Graham Nash, Jose Carreras, James Taylor, Jessica Mauboy, Dawn French, and Steven Bartlett would be taking the stage.

Apart from offering a platform for the biggest global stars, the Centre provides some of the most high-profile corporate entertainment in Adelaide, giving it a reputation as the choicest venue for functions like trade shows, summits, seminars, exhibitions, banquets, and expos.

How to Get Cheap Tickets to the Adelaide Center

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How to Get to the Adelaide Center

Situated conveniently at the cusp of the Adelaide CBD, the AEC is accessible through the city’s public transport services, including a free-of-charge city tram network.

Often, guests are welcomed to the venue in breathtaking style, thanks to its large dome entry design. The most spectacular venue entry in Australia, known as The Orb, brightens up every evening in what is usually a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors.

If you are driving to the center yourself, you need to know that the AEC offers over 1,400 on-site parking spaces. You can enter and exit the parking spaces easily via Mary Street, Adam Street, or Manton Street only.

Remember that the Adelaide Entertainment Center is entirely cashless in its operations. As a result, it accepts card payments only for all on-site charges, including car parking. Major debit cards, credit cards, and mobile payment options like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay are accepted at the venue.

When it is event day, visitors pay $18 to park their four-wheelers. This sum can be paid via electronic funds transfer at the point of sale at the entry of any of the designated parking lots. During major events, it is advised to allow for possible delays when it is time to exit the park.

Car-hailing services such as Uber and Ola, taxi ranks, and bus and train stops are located within a small walking distance of the complex. The AEC’s corporate partners can get complimentary parking during events in secure, out-of-sight parks. This VIP lot is accessible via Port Road, as it is located just a couple of meters away from the suites it offers guests.