Even though Adelaide is a city that prides itself on its cultural elements, it is no slouch when it comes to sports either. There are several major sporting arenas throughout town where professional teams play and major sporting events are held throughout the year.
Formerly known as Football Park, AAMI Stadium is home to both of the city’s AFL teams the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide. Inaugurated in 1971, the stadium now has a seating capacity of 51 515, which is often reached at the height of footy season.
The Adelaide Oval is synonymous with summer and cricket where teams have been sprinting along the pitch scoring runs for more than a century. These days the capacity of the stadium is 34 000 for football matches and 32 000 at cricket matches. It retains an historic aspect though with the charming Edwardian score board and ancient Moreton Bay Figs lining the northern end of play. The oval is just five minutes walk from the O’Connell Street end of the CBD.
The Adelaide Aquatic Centre is used for professional swim meets as well as training future Aussie swimming sensations on a daily basis. There is an eight lane Olympic pool, diving pool, leisure pools, sauna and gym facilities at the centre.
Is the home of Adelaide’s A League soccer team Adelaide United. From the top tier of the stadium, you can not only grab sensational views of the football pitch, but also panoramas of the city. Having been refurbished for the Sydney Olympics soccer matches, the stadium now has a seating capacity of 16 500.
Other major sporting venues throughout Adelaide include: the Adelaide International Raceway, the Adelaide Superdrome, City of Adelaide Skate Park, Distinctive Homes Hockey Arena, ETSA Park and the Santos Stadium.
Aussies love their sport and Adelaide is no different: there are various major sporting events that are held at different times of the year in and around the city –
One of the most famous is the Clipsal 500, which is held in March each year and is the nation’s biggest touring car event. Crowds topping a quarter of a million line the streets of Adelaide to see the tour cars zooming their way around the track for a shot at car racing glory and prize money.
Each January cyclists from all over the globe descend on Adelaide for the first UCI Pro Tour race on the calendar. Cyclists zoom through the streets of Adelaide and its surrounding areas on what are some of the tour’s most demanding races.
If you prefer your racing on four legs, then the Oakbank Easter Horse Racing Carnival is for you. Second only to the Melbourne Cup, this is a must do on most punters calendars each year. Drawing crowds in excess of 45 000 each Easter Saturday for the major race, there is plenty of fun on and off the track to be had.
