The Optus Stadium Tour

Optus Stadium is more than a place to watch football. This 90-minute walking tour takes you into the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles, and Perth Scorchers changerooms, then up to the stadium’s highest vantage point for views across the field, Swan River, and Perth skyline. I like the access to the Coaches Room and media areas, places you normally pass without seeing. I also like the way the tour mixes sport with practical details about how a huge, multi-event stadium operates.

The main thing to consider is that this is a walking tour with several stops and a fairly full schedule. The stadium has lifts, and most people can take part, but you should dress for the weather and allow time to meet behind Gate D, under the City View Cafe.

Key points at a glance

• Three major team changerooms: See the player areas used by the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles, and Perth Scorchers.
• The stadium’s highest viewpoint: Look down over the field and across the Swan River and Perth city skyline.
• Coaches and media spaces: Visit the Coaches Room, press areas, commentary facilities, and conference rooms.
• Field-level access: Sit on the benches usually reserved for players and team staff.
• Good access for mixed-age groups: Lifts help people who have trouble with stairs, and the tour caters for all ages and abilities.
• Small group format: The maximum group size is 25, which helps the guide keep people together inside busy spaces.

Why Optus Stadium makes a good tour subject

Opened in 2018, Optus Stadium is still a relatively modern sporting venue, and the tour makes good use of that. You are not simply shown a stand, a sign, and the exit. You move through the working parts of the building, from team facilities to corporate rooms and broadcast spaces.

I find stadium tours most useful when they explain the work behind an event. Here, you get a sense of how the building changes for Australian rules football, cricket, concerts, and other large events. That matters because the same seats and playing surface may support very different operations from one day to the next.

You also get the human side of the building. Guides such as Bruce, Terri, Rocco, Keith, Lindsay, Lyndsey, Bob, and Crystaline have led this tour, and the guide’s style can shape the experience. The strongest guides add facts, answer questions, keep the group moving, and bring some humor without turning the tour into a sports quiz.

You do not need to support one particular team. The route covers several clubs and a wide range of stadium functions, so it works for football followers, cricket fans, architecture enthusiasts, and people who simply want to see how a major venue operates.

Meeting behind Gate D

The meeting point is behind Gate D, underneath the City View Cafe. This detail matters because Optus Stadium is large, and arriving at the general stadium precinct is not the same as finding the tour departure point.

I would arrive with enough time to locate Gate D without rushing. You receive a mobile ticket, and confirmation is provided at booking. The tour operates in all weather, so check the conditions before leaving and dress accordingly.

The venue is near public transport, which helps if you are staying in central Perth or arriving without a car. Food and drinks are not included, although the City View Cafe is at the meeting area and can be useful before or after the tour if it is open during your visit.

The group can include up to 25 people. That is not a private tour, but it is small enough for a guide to gather everyone at each stop. A smaller group also helps in rooms such as the press area and Coaches Room, where space can feel limited.

Entering the changerooms

The changerooms are among the clearest reasons to book this tour. You visit the rooms associated with the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles, and Perth Scorchers, giving you a look at the spaces where players prepare before taking the field.

This is more interesting than seeing a generic locker room because the tour connects the spaces to the teams that use them. You can think about the very different rhythms of AFL football and cricket, even though both use the same stadium.

The route also includes warm-up and preparation areas, along with recovery facilities and spas. These spaces show the physical work that surrounds a match. The public usually sees only the players walking onto the field, while the tour gives you a look at some of the preparation before that moment and the recovery after it.

I would pay attention to the guide here rather than rushing through for photographs. The useful details are often about who uses each room, how teams move through the building, and how the facilities support an event day.

Sitting where the stars sit

One of the tour’s most appealing moments is sitting at ground level on the benches normally used by players and team staff. From there, the field looks different from the spectator seats. You are close to the action area and can picture the view from a coach’s or substitute’s position.

The tour also enters the Victory Lounge, which provides strong views of the field. This gives you a useful contrast: one stop places you close to the grass, while another shows how premium spaces frame the game from above.

You then explore the Coaches Room. This is a good stop for anyone curious about the decisions made during a match. The tour does not turn you into an AFL coach, but sitting in these working areas helps explain how many people are involved in a game beyond the players on the field.

For children, these stops can keep the tour lively. They can sit on the team benches, see the field from unusual angles, and connect the building with the sports they watch. Adults who are not committed sports fans still get a look at how a large venue is managed.

The media and broadcast side of the stadium

Optus Stadium is also a workplace for sports media. The route can include the press box, commentary box, media rooms, and press conference areas. These spaces explain how a match reaches people who are not sitting inside the stadium.

I like this part because it broadens the tour beyond team facilities. A stadium is not only players, seats, and a field. It also needs commentators, television crews, reporters, interview areas, and technical staff.

The press conference room is familiar from sports coverage, but seeing it in person adds a physical sense of scale. You can imagine the post-match interviews taking place there, with players and coaches answering questions after the crowd has gone home.

The commentary and broadcast areas are especially useful if you are interested in the mechanics of sport on television. You may not get a full technical demonstration, but you do see the rooms and understand how much infrastructure is needed to present an event to an audience elsewhere.

Corporate rooms, suites, and event spaces

The tour includes a look at suites, function areas, and VIP facilities. These spaces show another side of Optus Stadium, one aimed at corporate entertaining and large private events rather than ordinary match seating.

This part can feel less personal than the changerooms, but it explains how the stadium earns money when a game is not taking place. The building is designed to host more than regular fixtures, and the function spaces help it serve different types of events.

I would treat these rooms as part of the stadium’s overall story rather than the main reason to book. If you are mainly interested in players and field access, the changerooms and benches will likely be more memorable. If you want to understand the business of running a major venue, the suites and function spaces add useful context.

Reaching the highest viewing point

The tour reaches the stadium’s highest vantage point, where you can look down over the playing field and take in views of the Swan River and Perth city skyline. This is the visual high point of the experience.

The view helps you understand the stadium’s place in Perth. From inside the building, you see both the scale of the arena and its connection with the city around it. It is also a good place for photographs, although the exact view and conditions will depend on the day.

Do not expect a quiet sightseeing platform detached from the rest of the tour. This is part of a guided route through the stadium, so you will need to keep with the group and follow the guide’s timing.

The upper levels are reached with lifts as needed. That is useful for visitors who have trouble with stairs, and it makes the tour workable for mixed-age groups. The activity is described as suitable for all ages and abilities, though you should still allow for a 90-minute visit inside a large venue.

What guides add to the experience

The guide is important here because much of the value comes from explanation rather than decoration. A bare walk through a locker room would be quick. A good guide connects the rooms, teams, event planning, and stadium design.

Guides named in the tour feedback include Bruce, Terri, Rocco, Keith, Lindsay, Lyndsey, Bob, Frank, and Crystaline. Their reported strengths are consistent: clear explanations, patience, humor, and a willingness to answer questions.

Keith, Bruce, and Lindsay were especially praised for their passion and detailed information. Terri was noted for handling groups well, while Rocco was described as friendly and engaging. These names do not guarantee who will lead your departure, since guide assignments can change, but they give you an idea of the style to expect.

I would ask questions as you go. The tour covers a lot in 90 minutes, and a direct question can turn a general explanation into something more useful for your interests.

Is $25.10 good value?

At $25.10 per person, I consider this a fair price for a 90-minute guided experience inside a major modern stadium. The value comes from the number of restricted areas included, not from simply standing in the seating bowl.

You see changerooms, coaches’ facilities, media spaces, corporate areas, recovery facilities, field-level benches, and high viewpoints. Admission to these parts of the venue would not normally be included with an ordinary visit to a match.

The price makes the most sense if you have never toured a large stadium or if you are already planning time at Optus Stadium. It is also a practical choice for families, since the route gives children more variety than a single museum room.

The calculation is less convincing if you only want a quick photograph of the field. The tour takes around an hour and a half, and much of that time is spent listening, walking between areas, and waiting for the group to gather. You are paying for access and explanation, not a short photo stop.

Who should book this tour?

I would recommend it to sports fans who want to see the parts of a stadium hidden from ordinary spectators. AFL and cricket followers get the most direct connection through the three team changerooms and match-day facilities.

It also suits visitors who like buildings, logistics, and event planning. The tour shows how one venue supports sport, media, corporate functions, and other large events. You do not need detailed sports knowledge to follow the main story.

Families can benefit from the variety of stops, especially the benches, field views, changerooms, and high vantage point. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and most participants can take part.

The tour is less suitable if you dislike guided group activities or want to explore at your own speed. The maximum group size is 25, and the schedule is set by the guide. You should also plan around the weather, since the tour operates in all conditions.

Practical details before you go

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes suited to walking through a large venue. The exact route can include several levels and multiple facilities, although lifts are available and have helped visitors who have difficulty with stairs.

Service animals are allowed. Public transport is nearby, and the meeting point is behind Gate D under the City View Cafe.

Food and drinks are not included. Plan to eat before or after the tour rather than expecting refreshments as part of the ticket.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience begins. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off uses local Perth time.

Should you book the Optus Stadium Tour?

Book it if you want more than a look at the stands. The strongest parts are the three team changerooms, the Coaches Room, the media facilities, the player benches, and the high views over the field and Perth.

I would also book it for a family day out or for a visitor who enjoys seeing how large public buildings work. The guide-led format keeps the route moving, and the lifts make it easier for mixed-ability groups.

Skip it if you want a very short visit, a self-guided wander, or a tour focused only on architecture. For most people who are curious about sport and the machinery behind a major event, $25.10 buys a solid 90 minutes and access to rooms you would otherwise never see.

FAQ

How long does the Optus Stadium Tour take?

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is behind Gate D, underneath the City View Cafe at Optus Stadium.

What areas can I see inside the stadium?

You can visit the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles, and Perth Scorchers changerooms, the Coaches Room, Victory Lounge, media and press areas, commentary facilities, corporate suites, function spaces, warm-up areas, recovery facilities, and field-level benches.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Yes. Children can participate, but they must be accompanied by an adult.

Is the tour accessible for people who have trouble with stairs?

The tour caters for all ages and abilities, and lifts are available between levels. Service animals are also allowed.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The tour operates in all weather conditions, so you should dress appropriately.