Carrara Stadium (known under naming rights as People First Stadium) is a stadium located in the Gold Coast suburb of Carrara, Queensland. It is primarily used for Australian rules football as the home ground of the Gold Coast Suns, which competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). Bears President, Paul Cronin, announced on 23 December 1986 that the club would use Carrara Oval as their home ground. The financial backer of the Bears, Christopher Skase, spent $1 million redeveloping Carrara Oval over a 10-week period at the beginning of 1987, which included upgraded player facilities, seating for 6,000 spectators and a new electronic scoreboard. On 19 April 1987, the Fitzroy Lions defeated the Brisbane Bears in the first VFL game played at Carrara Oval, before a crowd of 17,795. (The Brisbane Lions website records the crowd unofficially as 22,684.)
In 1989, the Brisbane Bears and the Albert Shire Council signed off on a 30-year lease for the ground with an option for a further 10 years. Following that announcement, Christopher Skase orchestrated the installation of floodlights costing $6 million, which were never paid for. With the collapse of Skase's company Qintex, he would flee to Spain and the cost of the floodlights continued to be unpaid. Liquidators attempted to extract money from the Gold Coast City Council for the lights but, after an unsuccessful trial, it was found cheaper to leave the floodlights in place at Carrara Stadium. On 15 July 1989, the Bears hosted the first ever night match at Carrara, against the Geelong Cats, in front of a then-record crowd of 18,198.
Insufficient public transport access to the stadium and the poor on-field performance of the Bears resulted in poor crowds at Bears games, prompting local media to refer to the situation as the "Curse of Carrara". The Brazilians later commented that the surface at Carrara was one of the best in the world.
thumb|The stadium prior to redevelopment
The ground was owned by the Shire of Albert, which transferred to the Gold Coast City Council when the two local authorities amalgamated in 1995. The field is officially known as Laver Oval after long-time Albert Shire Chairman, Bill Laver.
Growth
Following the folding of the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1995 and NRL premiership matches played in 2001 and 2005. The ground's capacity was increased slightly during this time.
In 2005 the NRL announced that a licence would be awarded to the Gold Coast Titans, and that the stadium would be their home ground in 2007 In response to the NRL move, the AFL scheduled three AFL 'home games' for the North Melbourne Football Club and a NAB Cup match for Carrara in 2007, and the Queensland State League began hosting grand finals there. The Titans would play ten games at Carrara in 2007 and miss the finals. Following the conclusion of the 2007 NRL season, Titans managing director Michael Searle warned the AFL that if a team were to be started on the Gold Coast it would disappear into the Carrara 'black hole' within five years.
In 2006 it was announced the North Melbourne Football Club would play nine home games at Carrara between the 2007–2009 seasons. Following the 2007 AFL season the AFL offered the Kangaroos a $100 million package to relocate from Melbourne to the Gold Coast and be based out of Carrara. On 7 December 2007 the newly appointed Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw announced the club would not be moving to the Gold Coast permanently and would continue to be based out of Melbourne. Subsequently, the Kangaroos games played at Carrara after the announcement suffered poor crowds. The AFL released North Melbourne from the final year of a three-year contract after they drew just 6,354 spectators to their first home match at Carrara for the 2008 season.
Carlton, Richmond and St Kilda subsequently hosted the remaining home games during the 2009 season.
Redevelopment
thumb|View of the field and grandstand
thumb|The videoboard.
thumb|Fans allowed on the field following the completion of the vs match in 2023
On 7 May 2009, it was confirmed that the Carrara Stadium would receive a $126 million redevelopment, providing a suitable stadium for new AFL club the Gold Coast Suns. The last event at the old ground was Richmond vs Adelaide in front of 11,174 fans. On 30 October 2009, demolition of the old stadium began. By January 2010, demolition works were complete. Foundations for the grandstands as well as construction for the player and corporate facilities began in May 2010.
The redeveloped stadium cost $144.2 million to build and seats 25,000 spectators (with the ability to house an additional 15,000 temporary seats). The stadium features an AFL oval capable of accommodating an ICC-compliant cricket oval, an IAAF Athletics field and a FIFA World Cup football field, facilities for 2,000 corporate patrons, AFL team and officials' changing facilities, AFL media facilities, and team and officials' suites. Watpac were contracted for the construction, which was scheduled for completion in mid-2011. The stadium then played host to an International rules football in November 2011, with 12,595 watching Ireland defeat Australia by 50 points to 29. The stadium was opened for an open day on 22 May 2011, before the first match on 28 May 2011.
The Gold Coast's successful bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games resulted in the stadium being upgraded to a temporary seating capacity of 35,000, which was dismantled after the Games and restored back to 25,000. The stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics.
The stadium was used extensively during the 2020 AFL season, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as several non-Queensland teams spent extended periods of time in Gold Coast quarantine hubs and played home games at the ground, as a means of carrying on the season while state borders were restricted or closed to interstate travel. The stadium hosted several double-headers, and at the peak of hubbing in round 6, 2020 hosted four senior matches in two days. In all, the ground staged 42 matches in 2020, the most of any ground, and including its first ever finals match.
Stadium uses
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.
Gold Coast Suns
thumb|Media facilities at Carrara Stadium.
The Gold Coast Suns have played their home games at Carrara since mid-2011. The Queensland Government contributed $60 million towards the redevelopment of the stadium, increasing the capacity to around 25,000 of which 23,500 is seated. The Gold Coast City Council also contributed $20 million and the AFL $10 million.
The Gold Coast Suns played their first game at the reconstructed stadium on Saturday, 28 May 2011, in Round 10 of the 2011 AFL season. The Suns lost the match against by 66 points. A round 18 game against 2010 premiers attracted a then-record crowd of 23,302, selling out two months before game day. On Saturday 11 August 2012, the Suns won their first game at the venue, defeating by 30 points.
Crowds would not reach in excess of 20,000 again until Round 12, 2014, when 21,354 fans watched the Suns take on the Sydney Swans in a game that marked the first time Gary Ablett Jr. and Lance Franklin went head-to-head since defecting from their original clubs, as well as this being Franklin's first match on the Gold Coast as an AFL player. The record crowd was broken in 2014 when 24,032 attended the Suns' Round 16 game against Collingwood, which the Suns won by five points despite losing their captain Gary Ablett to a season-ending shoulder injury.
Cricket
The Gold Coast District Cricket Club was formed in 1990 and shared tenancy of Carrara Stadium with the Brisbane Bears. They would continue to be based at Carrara until 1993 when they moved to Robina. The stadium hosted an international cricket match between Queensland and England in January 1991. Controversy fell over the ground when touring English players David Gower and John Morris chose to go for a joy-ride in two Tiger moth biplanes without telling the England team management and buzzed the stadium in the middle of play. Gower and Morris also posed for press photographs with the plane later that afternoon. Both players were subsequently fined £1000 for the prank, a penalty that could have been steeper had Gower elected to release the water bombs he had prepared. Carrara also played host to a 50-over match between Queensland and the West Indies on 1 January 1992, which the visitors won by 7 wickets.
Carrara hosted its first international cricket match since redevelopment on 17 November 2018 with Australia taking on South Africa in a Twenty20 match in front of 12,866 spectators. Carrara hosted three games during the 2018–19 Big Bash League season, two of those games hosted by the Brisbane Heat and the other game hosted by the Melbourne Stars. The stadium remains a potential future home ground for a Gold Coast-based Big Bash League side that enters the competition.
Carrara Stadium was selected to host all Brisbane Heat home finals in the 2023-2024 Big Bash League season. The first final (The Qualifier) is set to be hosted at Carrara with another to be played on the 22nd (The Challenger). This is due to the Australia vs West Indies test match being hosted at The Gabba. The Qualifier final against the Sydney Sixers attracted a Gold Coast cricket record crowd of 20,191 spectators.
Musical acts
Carrara hosted a triple header of entertainment events on the Easter long weekend in 2001. The first night saw Kiss perform and become the first international act to play at the Stadium. Former Kiss lead guitarist and foundation band member Ace Frehley revealed in his 2011 autobiography that he punched then-tour manager Tommy Thayer in the jaw while in the dressing room at the conclusion of the Gold Coast concert in 2001. The stadium served as the venue for the last leg of the Kiss Farewell Tour and Thayer would later replace Frehley as the lead guitarist in the band. The next night saw rock legend Alice Cooper perform at the stadium. The third and final night of the long weekend saw the Anthony Mundine-Timo Masua boxing match take place at Carrara.
On 10 December 2011 the Foo Fighters performed at Carrara and set the all-time attendance record for any event ever held at Carrara Stadium, 37,000 people attended the concert. The stadium is also featured in the Foo Fighters film clip of "These Days". Filming took place during the concert on 10 December 2011. On 19 January 2014, the venue hosted the Gold Coast leg of the Big Day Out. The stadium was set to serve as the host of the two-day SandTunes Music Festival on 30 November & 1 December 2019, prior to its cancellation. The line-up included acts such as Travis Scott, Dean Lewis and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Queen + Adam Lambert played at the stadium on 29 February 2020 in the final concert of their Australian leg of The Rhapsody Tour and pulled a record crowd of 40,000 attendees. In November 2020, it was announced Guns N' Roses would play at the stadium on 6 November 2021. The show was later postponed to 24 November 2022.
Commonwealth Games
230px|thumb|Carrara Stadium prior to the opening ceremony of the [[2018 Commonwealth Games.]]
Carrara Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games as well as hosting the athletics events. The athlete's village was originally going to be located next to Carrara Stadium but instead was constructed in Southport. The stadium was temporarily upgraded to hold 35,000 people prior to the start of the opening ceremony. 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 was later extended to the end of 2022. In 2023 the stadium was renamed Heritage Bank Stadium, after a contract was signed with mutual bank Heritage Bank. In the same year, Heritage Bank merged with People's Choice Credit Union based in Adelaide, South Australia to create People First Bank. Therefore, the stadium was renamed People First Stadium in March 2024.
Transport access
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Public transport access
!Service!!Station/stop!!Line/route!!Walking distance<br/> from Carrara Stadium
|-
| align=center|Kinetic Gold Coast 12px || align=center|Carrara Stadium || align=center|745 || align=center|50 m
|-
| align=center|Queensland Rail 20px || align=center|Nerang || align=center|Gold Coast || align=center|2.0 km
|}
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 records
Individual
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=5|Most goals in a game by a player
|-
! style="width:60px;"| Goals !! style="width:140px;"|Player !! style="width:100px;"|Club !! style="width:100px;"|Opponent !! style="width:80px;"|Date
|- Lance franklin. 13 goals v north
| 13 || Peter Daicos || || || 3 Aug 1991
|-
| rowspan="2" | 11 || Gary Ablett Sr. || || || 5 Jun 1988
|-
| Jason Dunstall || || || 14 Jun 1987
|-
| rowspan="2" | 10 || Simon Beasley || || || 23 Aug 1987
|-
| Jack Riewoldt || || || 11 Aug 2018
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=4|Most career goals by a player
|-
! style="width:60px;"| Goals !! style="width:140px;"|Player !! style="width:100px;"|Club !! style="width:70px;"|Games
|-
| 139 || Tom Lynch || <br /> || 71
|-
| 98 || Brad Hardie || || 45
|-
| 84 || Roger Merrett || || 44
|-
| 72 || Gary Ablett Jr. || <br /> || 58
|-
| 71 || Alex Sexton || || 68
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=5|Most disposals in a game by a player
|-
! style="width:60px;"| Disposals !! style="width:140px;"|Player !! style="width:100px;"|Club !! style="width:100px;"|Opponent !! style="width:80px;"|Date
|-
| 51 || Scott Thompson || || || 20 Aug 2011
|-
| 49 || Gary Ablett Jr. || || || 20 Jul 2013
|-
| 45 || Gary Ablett Jr. || || || 14 Apr 2012
|-
| rowspan="3" | 43 || Gary Ablett Jr. || || || 3 Sep 2011
|-
| Bryce Gibbs || || || 17 Jun 2017
|-
| Ollie Wines || || || 19 Jun 2021
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=4|Most career games by a player
|-
! style="width:60px;"| Games !! style="width:140px;"|Player !! style="width:100px;"|Club !! style="width:70px;"|Years
|-
| 88 || Jarrod Harbrow || || 2011–2021
|-
| 85 || David Swallow || || 2011–
|-
| 71 || Tom Lynch || <br /> || 2011–
|-
| 69 || Touk Miller || || 2015–
|-
| 68 || Alex Sexton || || 2012–
|}
<sup>Last updated: 1 November 2022</sup>
Cricket records
Twenty20
Individual batting
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=6|Highest individual score in a match
|-
! Runs !! Player !! Team !! Opponent !! Competition !! Date
|-
| 96 || Daniel Hughes || Sydney || Melbourne || Big Bash League || 26 Dec 2020
|-
| 87 || Shaun Marsh || Melbourne || Sydney || Big Bash League || 1 Jan 2021
|-
| 84 || Chris Lynn || Brisbane || Sydney || Big Bash League || 1 Jan 2019
|-
| 83 || Glenn Maxwell || Melbourne || Brisbane || Big Bash League || 20 Dec 2019
|-
| 71 || Glenn Maxwell || Melbourne || Sydney || Big Bash League || 26 Dec 2020
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=5|Most career runs
|-
! Runs !! Matches !! Player !! Team/s !! Period
|-
| 276 || 6 || Glenn Maxwell || Melbourne, Australia || 2018–
|-
| 251 || 7 || Chris Lynn || Brisbane, Australia || 2018–
|-
| 163 || 5 || Daniel Hughes || Sydney || 2019–
|-
| 154 || 2 || Shaun Marsh || Melbourne || 2020–
|-
| 134 || 2 || Jonathan Wells || Adelaide || 2019–
<!-- |-
| 132 || 5 || Josh Philippe || Sydney || 2019– -->
<!-- |-
| 122 || 5 || Marcus Stoinis || Melbourne, Australia || 2018– -->
<!-- |-
| 117 || 5 || Max Bryant || Brisbane || 2018– -->
<!-- |-
| 114 || 4 || Dan Christian || Sydney || 2020– -->
|}
Individual bowling
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=6|Best figures in a match
|-
! Bowling !! Player !! Team !! Opponent !! Competition !! Date
|-
| 4/18 || Carlos Brathwaite || Sydney || Brisbane || Big Bash League || 10 Jan 2021
|-
| 3/16 || Fawad Ahmed || Perth || Brisbane || Big Bash League || 1 Jan 2020
|-
| 3/18 || Rashid Khan || Adelaide || Sydney || Big Bash League || 3 Jan 2021
|-
| 3/24 || Peter Siddle || Adelaide || Melbourne || Big Bash League || 27 Dec 2019
|-
| 3/25 || Tom Curran || Sydney || Brisbane || Big Bash League || 1 Jan 2019
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=5|Most career wickets
|-
! Wickets !! Matches || Player !! Team/s !! Period
|-
| 9 || 5 || Adam Zampa || Melbourne || 2019–
|-
| 6 || 4 || Carlos Brathwaite || Sydney || 2020–
|-
| 6 || 4 || Mark Steketee || Brisbane || 2018–
|-
| 5 || 4 || Josh Lalor || Brisbane || 2018–
|-
| 5 || 4 || Mujeeb Ur Rahman || Brisbane || 2018–
|}
<sup>Last updated: 11 January 2021</sup>
Attendance records
Sports
NOTE: This table does not include stadium attendances at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:900px;"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
!width=1%|No.
!width=17%|Date
!width=46%|Teams
!width=22%|Sport
!width=8%|Competition
!width=6%|Crowd
|-
| align=center|1 || align=center|5 July 2014|| align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Collingwood Magpies || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 24,032
|-
| align=center|2 || align=center|23 July 2011|| align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Collingwood Magpies || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 23,302
|-
| align=center|3 || align=center|29 June 2024|| align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Collingwood Magpies || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 23,029
|-
| align=center|4 || align=center|11 July 2025|| align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Collingwood Magpies || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 22,831
|-
| align=center|5 || align=center|18 March 1994 || align=center|Gold Coast Seagulls vs. Brisbane Broncos || align=center|Rugby league || align=center|NSWRL|| 22,688
|-
| align=center|6 || align=center|1 July 2023|| align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Collingwood Magpies || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 22,483
|-
| align=center|7 || align=center|9 March 2024|| style="text-align:center;"|Gold Coast Suns vs. Richmond Tigers|| align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL||22,086
|-
| align=center|8 || align=center|2 June 2024||align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Essendon Bombers || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 21,759
|-
| align=center|9 || align=center|28 May 2011||align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Geelong Cats || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 21,485
|-
| align=center|10 || align=center|8 June 2014||align=center|Gold Coast Suns vs. Sydney Swans || align=center|Australian rules football || align=center|AFL|| 21,354
|}
<sup>Last updated: 12 July 2025</sup>
Other events
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:900px;"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
!width=1%|No.
!width=20%|Date
!width=40%|Name of tour/event
!width=30%|Act/s
!width=6%|Crowd
|-
| align=center|1 || align=center|28 February 2023 || align=center|Love On Tour || align=center|Harry Styles|| 48,177
|-
| align=center|2 || align=center|13 November 2024 || align=center|Dark Matter World Tour || align=center|Pearl Jam|| 46,900
|-
| align=center|3 || align=center|20 February 2024 || align=center|Summer Carnival Tour || align=center|Alecia Beth Moore (Pink)|| 46,000
|-
| align=center|4 || align=center|14 December 2025 || align=center|Spilt Milk 2025 || align=center|Kendrick Lamar, Doechii|| 40,000
|-
| align=center|5 || align=center|29 February 2020 || align=center|The Rhapsody Tour || align=center|Queen + Adam Lambert || 39,607
|-
| align=center|6 || align=center|10 December 2011|| align=center|Wasting Light Tour || align=center|Foo Fighters || 37,000
|-
| align=center rowspan=3|7 || align=center|4 April 2018 || align="center" |2018 Commonwealth Games || align="center" | Delta Goodrem, Ricki-Lee Coulter || 35,000
|-
| align=center|19 January 2014 || align=center|Big Day Out 2014 || align=center| Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire || 35,000
|-
| align=center|26 November 2023 || align=center|Spilt Milk 2023 || align=center|Post Malone, Dom Dolla|| 35,000
|-
| align=center rowspan=2|10 || align=center|24 November 2022 || align=center|We're F'n Back Tour || align=center|Guns N' Roses|| 30,000
|-
| align=center|4 November 2023 || align=center|Got Back Tour || align=center|Paul McCartney|| 30,000
|}
<sup>Last updated: 26 December 2025</sup>
Awards
thumb|The exterior of the stadium as seen in October 2023.
Won
- 2011 AFL Fans Favourite Venue
- 2012 ASI Steel Design Awards for Queensland – Best Large Project Building
- 2012 ASI Steel Design Awards for Queensland – Best Engineering Project Building
- 2012 ASI Steel Design Awards for Queensland – Best Use of Sustainability
- 2012 ASI Steel Design Awards for Queensland – Best Sporting and Community Facility over $20 million
Nominated
- 2012 ASI Steel Design Awards for Queensland – Project of the Year
- 2012 Stadium Business Awards – Project of the Year
See also
- List of Australian Football League grounds
- List of Australian rugby league stadiums
- List of cricket grounds in Australia
- List of sports venues in Australia
- Sports on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Sources
- AFL Attendance Records
- NRL Attendance Records
- Gold Coast City Council – Carrara Stadium
- BPN news article
References
External links
- Description and aerial view of Carrara Oval at the Gold Coast City Council's web site
- Bring Carrara Back to Life – But Slowly