HBF Park named Australia’s best rectangular stadium

HBF Park has received national recognition after a blockbuster 2023, named as the Best Rectangular Stadium in Austadium’s 2023 Stadium Awards.

After placing second in the voting in 2022, HBF Park received 29 per cent of the votes in 2023, followed by Suncorp Stadium with 22 per cent.

The award follows the hosting of five FIFA Women’s World Cup games, which were either at capacity or just below, attracting an average of more than 17,000 fans."

This was followed by two sold out Matildas games as part of the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers.

Two concerts also headlined the year, with more than 30,000 fans flocking to see both Harry Styles and the Foo Fighters.

HBF Park’s Acting General Manager Doug Hamilton said the HBF Park team was honoured to receive the recognition.

“There are fantastic stadia all around the country, and we appreciate that Perth and HBF Park has been given the opportunity to be in the spotlight with all of the events we’ve had the chance to showcase at our venue,” Hamilton said.

“Front of mind with all of our events is that our patrons leave having enjoyed the entertainment, whether it's sport, music or otherwise.

“We work to ensure they've enjoyed the journey to and from the facility, and whatever event we’re putting on, we put a lot of planning and focus into the customer experience.

“This goes from the team at HBF Park and VenuesWest through to HBF, who as our naming rights sponsor, really cares about the quality of the experience of our attendees here as well.

“Being in that spotlight, we're really pleased that we've honoured that opportunity with good service, good customer experiences and we hope for many, many more.”

Photo: Soco Studios

Hamilton said HBF Park was attractive to promoters and fans as it provides both an intimate experience for large-scale events.

“We’re really fortunate with the particular size of the venue, the intimacy that you can create in both sport and concert event mode is a big factor to why it’s a preferred venue for promoters and sports entities,” Hamilton said.

This year we especially saw that profound impact and the positive impact around women's football, it has been quite an uplifting experience for everyone.”

Photo: Travis Hayto

The award was one of four won by VenuesWest venues, with Optus Stadium winning Best Stadium and Best Cricket Ground, and RAC Arena winning Best Indoor venue.

VenuesWest CEO David Etherton said the organisation was proud to receive this recognition from the public vote.

“We are delighted that VenuesWest has won four of a possible five honours at the 2023 Stadium Awards, with recognition across three of our venues in Optus Stadium, RAC Arena and HBF Park,” Etherton said.

“This achievement underlines an exceptional year for events in Western Australia and showcases the collaboration between VenuesWest, our operators VenuesLive and ASM Global, Tourism WA, and our stakeholders.

“In the past 12 months, these venues successfully hosted world-class events including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the subsequent sold-out Matildas Olympic Qualifying games, UFC 284 and the United Cup.

“Particularly noteworthy is Optus Stadium’s consistent excellence, securing the Best Stadium award for the fourth consecutive time. Its dual recognition as Australia’s Best Cricket Ground further cements its position as a leading venue globally.

“The Best Rectangular Stadium award for HBF Park and the Best Indoor Arena award for RAC Arena reinforce our commitment to providing top-tier venues that exceed expectations in hosting international and local events.”