Metricon Stadium

Carrara Stadium (known commercially as Metricon Stadium) is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, serving as the home ground of the Gold Coast Suns, who compete in the Australian Football League. In addition, the venue is used occasionally for cricket, including Big Bash League matches.

Carrara Stadium received substantial redevelopment work prior to the entry of the Brisbane Bears to the VFL/AFL in 1987, but following the Bears relocation to the Gabba in 1993, it was used for other sports including rugby league, rugby union and even baseball. The stadium has hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games as well as the athletics competitions. The venue would host Cricket for the 2032 Summer Olympics if Cricket is approved by the International Olympic Committee.

Carrara is the home ground for Australian rules football club the Gold Coast Suns, who compete in the Australian Football League (AFL), and also hosts events such as junior representative championships and QAFL games.

The stadium lacked a naming rights sponsor in its formative decades, bearing the names Carrara Stadium and Gold Coast Stadium between its opening in 1987 and 2011. On 15 March 2011, the Gold Coast Football Club announced that nationally active home builder group Metricon Homes had signed a $3 million, 5-year deal for naming rights of Carrara Stadium, to be known henceforth as Metricon Stadium. In March 2016 Metricon Homes signed a 5-year extension deal with the Suns until 25 March 2020 for the naming rights of the stadium. The agreement has since been extended to the end of 2022.In October 2022, it was confirmed that after 12 years, Metricon Homes would not renew its naming-rights partnership. As such the stadium will have a new name from 2023. The new name of the stadium is yet to be confirmed.

The nearest railway station is Nerang, a 25-minute walk from the stadium. On match and event days, special shuttle bus services from Nerang station and Broadbeach serve the stadium. The shuttle buses travel along Route 745, a route that usually passes the stadium on non-match days. A taxi rank also operates in front of the adjacent Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on match days. Future transport plans for the stadium precinct include a ferry service and light rail extension from Broadbeach that will stop outside the stadium.

AFL Attendance Records NRL Attendance Records Gold Coast City Council – Carrara Stadium BPN news article