VENUES | STAFF REPORTERS
CITY of Parramatta residents will notice something different as they travel down the busy thoroughfare of O’Connell Street.
The City’s iconic Stadium now has a vivid new look.
CommBank Stadium is the new name of the hugely popular Western Sydney venue and the light show of an evening has been eye-catching as the city prepares to welcome the Australian women’s football team. the Matildas, back to Australia.
As events return to Western Sydney on the recovery side of the pandemic, Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium will host back-to-back international games against highly-rated Brazil on Saturday, October 23 and Tuesday, October 26.
The Stadium has been lighting up this week in green and gold as a show of support for the Matildas. At the same time as the giant CommBank Stadium signage has lit up for the first time.
Bankwest transferred the naming rights of Western Sydney stadium to the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) on October 1 as part of a major commitment made by CommBank to expand its support for Western Sydney, including local small businesses, to help the region recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic.
CommBank Stadium CEO Daryl Kerry said his team was thrilled to be welcoming back fans to the Stadium for the first time since June.
“Bringing events back to Greater Sydney is an important part of the NSW Government’s Roadmap to Recovery,” Mr Kerry said.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to doing what we do best: hosting events and delivering an unparalleled event experience for the players and the fans, while ensuring the community remains safe at all times.”
The Stadium has already welcomed 1.2 million fans through the turnstiles for more than 100 ticketed sports and entertainment events since its opening in April 2019 and been widely recognised for its functionality, cutting edge design and amazing atmosphere.
Mr Kerry said CommBank Stadium was also open again to host business, community and cultural events.
The NSW Government announced recently that crowds of up to 75 per cent of capacity will be permitted at the newly-named CommBank Stadium for the Matildas internationals.
The Stadium is also expected to host the Socceroos in a World Cup Qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, November 11, while the A-League kicks off on Saturday, November 30 with a huge Sydney Derby featuring Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC.
A study conducted by City of Parramatta Council found that big events at CommBank Stadium can inject up to $1M into the local economy as fans converge on the city to celebrate and with Eat Street and surrounding areas a hive of activity.
The good news is that Eat Street has reopened just in time as the big events to return to CommBank Stadium.
