From the Sydney Olympics in 2000 to a slew of NRL Grand Finals and, of course, Taylor Swift’s record-breaking concerts, Accor Stadium has hosted some of the biggest events to ever take place in Australia.
Now, the local stadium has marked perhaps its most momentous celebration yet – its 25th anniversary.
In honour of the milestone, some of Australia’s biggest sporting stars have shared their favourite memories of Accor Stadium.
For Louise Sauvage, one of Australia’s most decorated Paralympians, it was lighting the Paralympic cauldron and competing at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.
“The Paralympics, winning gold for my country and having my friends and family here was just phenomenal,” she said.
“And of course, lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
“I’ve enjoyed coming back here as obviously it brings back a lot of memories for me, but I’ve been here now, and I’ve experienced concerts and a lot of other great sporting moments in this stadium.”
Socceroos and Man United star Mark Bosnich said it was John Aloisi’s iconic penalty against Uruguay and, more recently, when Sam Kerr scored against the Lionesses in what would be the Matildas’ final game of the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
But his first ever memory of the stadium was its official opening.
“My first memory here was actually the official opening of the stadium,” Bosnich added.
“Then, literally a month later, we toured down here with Manchester United and played against a younger Australian side.”
Built as the main stadium and centrepiece for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Accor Stadium has welcomed millions of spectators through its turnstiles over the last quarter of a century.
Venues NSW Group General Manager Phil Heads said it’s hard to narrow the list down to find a best experience, but there was no denying the hype surrounding Swift’s recent concerts.
“I have to say, having worked the past months in the lead up to the Taylor Swift concerts and experiencing just the level of finish and entertainment that was shown, it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Heads told Parra News.
“Watching the Taylor concerts and the people stream in, it’s reminded me it is a special place, lots of amazing things happen there. Kind of the defining thing for me was each night she created once in a lifetime memories for 80,000 people.
“That’s the quality of the place, you go there and you see something and hopefully you remember it for the rest of your lifetime.”
He said there’s still “plenty to come” for Accor Stadium.
“It is Sydney’s major events venue, so if the biggest stars in the world are coming to Sydney that’s where they’ll play,” he added.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.