The Optus Stadium Tour

Optus Stadium reveals its working side, not just its polished public face. In about 90 minutes, you can enter the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles and Perth Scorchers changerooms, sit near the field, and see how a major sporting venue gets ready for game day.

I like the high viewpoint over the field and the chance to visit rooms normally closed to the public. I also like the guides’ personal touch. Bruce, Terri, Rocco, Keith, Lindsay, Lyndsey, Bob and Crystaline have all led tours praised for clear explanations, good humor and patience. The main drawback is that the tour can feel a little short if you want every stop explained at length.

Key things to know before you book

• Three professional teams’ changerooms: See the rooms used by the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles and Perth Scorchers.
• High stadium views: Look down over the playing field from one of Optus Stadium’s highest viewing points.
• Real working rooms: Visit the Coaches Room, press and commentary areas, warm-up spaces, recovery facilities and corporate sections.
• Ground-level access: Sit on the benches normally used by players and team staff.
• Easy pace for many ages: Lifts connect the levels, and most people can take part.
• Small tour group: The maximum group size is 25, which helps the guide manage questions and keep people together.

Why Optus Stadium feels different from a normal match

A match ticket gives you the finished show. This tour takes you behind the show and explains how the building operates before the teams arrive, while the action is underway, and after the final whistle.

Optus Stadium opened in 2018, so the facilities feel modern and purpose-built. You are not simply walking through an old arena with a few framed photos. You are seeing a venue designed for AFL, cricket and other major events, with rooms and systems that must serve players, coaches, media, corporate groups and large crowds.

That practical side is what makes the tour worthwhile. You get a sense of how many separate spaces are needed for one event to run properly. The changerooms serve the teams. The Coaches Room supports tactical planning. The press and commentary areas handle the public story of the game. The warm-up and recovery facilities help players prepare and recover.

I especially like tours that explain what a building does, rather than asking you only to admire its size. Here, your guide connects the rooms to match day. You can picture a team preparing in the changeroom, moving through warm-up areas, taking the field, and returning for recovery.

You do not need to follow Australian rules football to enjoy this. The tour also covers the stadium’s use for different sports and events. Still, sports fans will get the most from the player areas and the chance to imagine themselves as a coach, media worker or member of a match-day team.

Meeting at Gate D and getting started

The meeting point is behind Gate D, underneath the City View Cafe. That location matters because Optus Stadium is a large site, so you should allow enough time to find the correct gate and gather before the walking tour begins.

Your guide acts as host and escort throughout the visit. The best guides make the building easier to understand by mixing facts with small details about how the venue functions. Several named guides, including Bruce, Terri, Rocco, Keith, Lindsay and Lyndsey, have been praised for being friendly, patient and engaged with questions.

The maximum group size is 25 people. That is not a private tour, but it is small enough for the group to fit into the various rooms without becoming unwieldy. A smaller group also helps when the guide pauses to explain a particular area or answer questions.

The tour is designed for all ages and abilities. You will walk between areas, but lifts are available between levels. This is useful if stairs are difficult for you or someone in your group. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and service animals are allowed.

The changerooms of three Perth teams

The team changerooms are one of the clearest reasons to book. You visit the facilities used by the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles and Perth Scorchers, giving you a direct link to three major Perth sporting teams.

For a football fan, this is the emotional heart of the tour. You can imagine players preparing for a match, coaches giving final instructions and teams returning from the field. Even if you do not know the teams well, the rooms help you understand the private side of professional sport.

The value here comes from access. A regular stadium visit keeps you in spectator areas. This tour takes you into places built for the people doing the work. It is a simple change in viewpoint, but it makes the building feel less like a giant seat bank and more like a workplace.

The tour also visits warm-up and recovery areas. These spaces show the less glamorous side of professional sport, where preparation, treatment and recovery are as important as the public performance.

Do not expect unlimited time in every room. The entire experience lasts about 90 minutes, and the guide needs to keep the group moving. One practical suggestion is to enjoy the first explanation, then ask your most important questions while you are still in the relevant area.

Sitting at ground level and entering the Coaches Room

The ground-level benches offer one of the tour’s best visual moments. You can sit where players and team staff are usually positioned, close to the field rather than high in the stands.

That change in height gives you a better feel for the scale of the playing surface. From the spectator seating, the field is part of a wide stadium view. From the benches, it becomes the immediate focus. You can also picture the noise and pressure that surround teams during a match, even when no game is being played.

The Coaches Room adds a different kind of access. This is where you can imagine yourself planning a match, studying play and making decisions under pressure. The guide explains how the room fits into the stadium’s wider operation, rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.

These moments work well for families. Children who may not care about building design can relate to sitting near the field or pretending to be a coach. Adults who attend matches often gain a fresh view of a familiar venue.

The Victory Lounge, suites and media spaces

The Victory Lounge provides another strong field view. You enter a more polished area of the stadium and see how match day works for corporate groups and special functions.

The tour also includes corporate suites and other function spaces. These areas help explain why a modern stadium must serve more than the people in ordinary seats. The building needs rooms for business events, hospitality and private gatherings, all while remaining connected to the main sporting event.

The press and commentary areas show another side of the stadium. A match is not only played on the field. It is also described, filmed, analyzed and sent to people watching elsewhere. The press box, commentary box, broadcast spaces and press conference rooms give you a look at that process.

For many people, these rooms are more interesting than expected because they reveal how much work happens away from the action. You begin to see the stadium as a communications center as well as a sports venue.

The guide’s role is important here. A bare room can seem ordinary if no one explains its purpose. A good guide gives you the link between the space and the event, helping you understand why it has been designed in that particular way.

The highest viewing point and Perth’s city views

The tour reaches one of the stadium’s highest viewing points, where you can look down over the field and out toward the Swan River and Perth city skyline.

This is the best place to pause and take in the building as a whole. From above, you can see how the seating wraps around the field and how the stadium’s size shapes the experience of a match. The outward views also remind you that this is not an isolated arena. It is part of Perth’s wider setting.

Bring your phone for photos, since the tour uses a mobile ticket and the high viewpoint offers a different picture than the ground-level areas. You may not spend a long time at the top, as the group has several stops to cover, but it is an important part of the route.

The high point is also useful for anyone who has already attended a game at Optus Stadium. You may recognize the field and stands, but the angle gives you a new sense of proportion. It is one of the places where the tour feels more than a simple room-to-room walk.

Sports history and the stadium’s working scale

Memorabilia relating to Western Australia’s sports history adds context to the modern building. The display connects Optus Stadium with the teams, players and events that came before it.

The tour is not only about trophies or famous names. It is also about the practical work required to host different sporting events. One guide explained the logistics of using the facility as a multi-event venue, an area that many people do not consider when they buy a ticket for a match.

That explanation is valuable because the public sees only the finished event. You see the field, the players and the crowd. Behind that, the venue must coordinate rooms, staff, media operations, team movements and spectator facilities.

The tour gives you enough information to appreciate that scale without turning into a technical lecture. Guides have been praised for making the facts easy to follow and for answering questions without rushing people. The experience works best when you stay curious about how the venue functions, not just where the famous players sit.

How much time and money should you allow?

The tour costs $25.10 per person and lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes. That is a fair price for access to several restricted areas, especially when you consider that you are paying for a guided route rather than simply entering a public concourse.

I would call it good value for sports fans, families and anyone interested in large event venues. The changerooms, Coaches Room, media areas, Victory Lounge, ground-level benches and high viewing point give the visit a clear range of experiences.

The value is less certain if you want a slow architectural tour or a long photography session. The route covers a lot in 90 minutes, and one extra 15 minutes would make it easier to handle questions, group movement and occasional delays. You should see this as a well-paced introduction rather than an exhaustive inspection of every part of the stadium.

Food and drinks are not included. The meeting point is beneath the City View Cafe, and one guide-led visit ended with lunch there, but you should treat any cafe stop as separate from the tour itself.

The activity runs in all weather, so dress for conditions. Much of the visit is inside, but appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes are sensible for a walking tour through a large building.

Who will get the most from this tour?

You should book if you fall into one of these groups:

• You follow the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles or Perth Scorchers.
• You enjoy stadium tours and want access beyond the spectator seating.
• You are visiting Perth with children who like sport.
• You are curious about media, coaching, event management or venue design.
• You have already attended a game and want to understand how the stadium operates.
• You want a structured indoor activity that suits a mix of ages and interests.

You do not need to be a football enthusiast. The stadium itself, the city views and the practical side of hosting major events give the tour wider appeal.

For older visitors or anyone concerned about stairs, the lifts are an important advantage. Most people can participate, but the experience still involves moving through a large venue. Children need an accompanying adult, and service animals are permitted.

The guide can shape the experience. Guides such as Terri and Rocco have been praised for warmth and clear explanations, while Keith, Bruce, Lindsay, Lyndsey, Bob and Crystaline have been singled out for making the visit lively and easy to follow. Guide assignments can vary, so you should not book expecting a particular person unless the operator confirms it.

Should you book the Optus Stadium Tour?

I would book this tour if you want to see the part of Optus Stadium that a match ticket leaves out. The three changerooms, Coaches Room, media spaces, recovery areas and ground-level benches give you genuine access, while the high viewpoint and Swan River views add a strong visual finish.

The price is modest for a 90-minute guided visit, and the small maximum group helps keep the route manageable. The main limitation is time. You will cover many areas, but you may wish for longer in the rooms that interest you most.

Book it as a behind-the-scenes sports and venue tour, not as a quiet building inspection. If that sounds right, Optus Stadium offers a friendly, practical look at how Perth’s major sporting events come together.

FAQ

How long does the Optus Stadium Tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

How much does the Optus Stadium Tour cost?

The listed price is $25.10 per person.

Where does the tour meet?

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

Which team areas can I visit?

The tour includes the changerooms of the Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles and Perth Scorchers.

Is the tour suitable for people who have difficulty with stairs?

The tour caters for all ages and abilities, and lifts are available between levels. Most people can participate.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.