Perth: Optus Stadium Guided Tour

The best seats are usually off-limits. Optus Stadium’s 90-minute guided tour takes you past the playing surface, into team change rooms, locker rooms, and coaches’ areas, then up to the Sky View Lounge for broad views of Perth, the Swan River, and the stadium itself. I like the access to working sports spaces, and I like that the tour works even if you are not a serious footy fan. The main consideration is that event-day schedules and cleaning work can affect what you see and how clearly you hear the guide.

The $24 price is fair for a well-paced tour with a live guide and a collectible lanyard. I also appreciate that the route is wheelchair and pram accessible, with places to sit along the way. Just arrive early at The OZONE, because the meeting point is below City View Cafe and past Gate D, not at a general stadium entrance.

Key points at a glance

• Highest viewpoint: The Sky View Lounge gives you wide views over the playing surface, Swan River, and Perth city.
• Restricted areas: You enter change rooms, locker rooms, warm-up spaces, coaches’ rooms, media areas, and selected corporate spaces.
• Strong guides: Bruce, Rocco, Chris, Bob, Lyndsey, and Christine have all been praised for clear explanations, humor, and patience.
• Good value: At $24 per person, the tour offers more access than a normal match ticket and costs less than many major Perth attractions.
• Easy access: You can reach the stadium by train on weekends, ferry, taxi, bus, bicycle, or on foot.
• Best timing tip: Avoid event days and public holidays, when tours do not operate.

Why Optus Stadium is worth seeing beyond match day

Optus Stadium is easy to admire from the outside. Its real appeal on this tour is learning how the place functions when thousands of people arrive for football, cricket, or another major event.

You are not simply led around a concourse and shown a few empty seats. The route gives you a look at the stadium as a workplace. You see the spaces that players, coaches, media teams, and corporate clients use, along with the practical systems that keep a major venue moving.

That matters because a stadium can feel rather ordinary when it is empty. The guide helps you picture the noise, crowds, preparation, and pressure that fill the building on match day. The tour also gives you a better sense of scale. From the upper viewpoint, the field looks neatly arranged. From closer range, the size of the venue becomes more impressive.

I would not limit this outing to supporters of the West Coast Eagles, Fremantle Dockers, or cricket. One family group included three people who did not follow sport, and everyone still enjoyed the explanations and access. A visitor unfamiliar with Australian rules football also found the tour interesting.

The experience is especially useful if you have already attended a match. You will recognize the public areas, then see the rooms and corridors normally hidden behind staff doors. One visitor had attended an Ashes Test at the stadium only days earlier and still found the backstage access worthwhile.

Starting at The OZONE below City View Cafe

The meeting point is The OZONE, located below City View Cafe, past Gate D. Look for the teardrop flags outside. Check in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start, which gives you time to find the right entrance and avoid a hurried beginning.

City View Cafe can make a useful before or after stop. It opens from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays, and it serves coffee and treats. The cafe is not part of the tour price, but it gives you an easy place to wait if you arrive early.

Getting to the stadium takes a little planning. From Perth CBD, it is about a 10 to 15-minute drive, depending on traffic. You can take a taxi, walk, cycle, catch a ferry, use a bus, or drive on a non-event day.

Train services on the Armadale Line stop at Stadium Station on weekends. The Little Ferry Co. stops daily at Burswood Jetty, and the Hop-On and Hop-Off bus stops daily in Marlee Loop. If you cycle, more than 600 bike racks are located around Stadium Park.

Parking is available on non-major-event days in the Marlee Loop car park, reached via Victoria Park Drive, and in the Bus Station and Camfield car parks, reached via Roger Mackay Drive. Accessible ACROD parking is available in Marlee Loop. Large groups have a bus drop-off area in P1 Marlee Loop, with bus parking on Roger Mackay Drive.

Walking through the stadium’s inner spaces

Once the tour begins, your guide leads the group around the stadium’s public and private areas. The pace is generally manageable rather than breathless. One parent described the tour as suitable for a six-year-old, while another noted that there were chances to sit if needed.

The exact order can vary, so I would treat the route as a guided look at the stadium rather than a fixed checklist. You can expect time around the playing surface, access to team facilities, views from high points, and stops where the guide explains the venue’s design and operation.

The most popular part is usually the access to change rooms and locker rooms. These spaces give the tour its backstage character. You see where players prepare, recover, and gather away from spectators. Warm-up areas and ice baths have also formed part of the route, helping you understand the practical side of professional sport.

You may also see the coaches’ room, media areas, coaches’ box, private corporate boxes, and other facilities. These areas show how the stadium serves several groups at once. It is not only a field surrounded by seats. It is also a media center, business venue, hospitality space, and high-pressure workplace.

The reviews give particular credit to guides who allow time for photographs and questions. Bruce is repeatedly praised for mixing humor with clear explanations. Rocco is described as thorough and entertaining, while Lyndsey and Christine are praised for helping people in the group and making the tour accessible. Chris, Bob, and other guides have also been singled out for making the information easy to follow.

Guide quality matters here. An empty locker room is interesting for a minute. A guide who explains what happens there, how the stadium was built, or how different sports use the venue gives the space a purpose.

The Sky View Lounge and the Perth panorama

The tour’s best visual moment comes at the stadium’s highest vantage point. From the Sky View Lounge, you look over the playing surface toward the Swan River and Perth city.

This is more than a quick photo stop. The high view helps you understand the stadium’s position in Burswood and its relationship with the city. Bring a camera, since there are several photo opportunities around the building.

The view also changes the way you see the field. From the highest level, you can appreciate the clean geometry of the seating bowl and the huge open area below. From closer points on the route, you get a more human view of the rooms, corridors, and facilities that support the action.

Weather can affect this part of the experience. On a rainy day, one guide sensibly took the group indoors first. The stadium still offers plenty to see when conditions are poor, but outdoor views may be less enjoyable than on a clear day.

Sports memorabilia and stories from Western Australia

Sports memorabilia appears along the route and connects the modern venue with Western Australia’s sporting past. The displays help keep the tour from becoming a simple architecture walk.

I would pay attention to the guide’s stories here, since the information is likely to mean more when connected to local teams, major events, and the sports played at Optus Stadium. You do not need a detailed knowledge of Australian rules football to follow along. The tour has also appealed to people interested in cricket and to families looking for an outing that works for different ages.

The stadium itself is the main subject, but the sporting context gives it character. A new, state-of-the-art building can otherwise feel detached from the people who use it. Memorabilia and guide commentary provide that link.

What the tour does well

The strongest part of the experience is the combination of access and explanation. You get into areas a standard ticket does not cover, and the guide tells you why those places matter.

The tour also tends to be well paced. Several people described guides who did not rush them and allowed time to look around. One tour lasted longer than the scheduled 90 minutes, while another visitor said the time passed quickly. That is a good sign for anyone worried about being hurried through a large venue.

Small groups have also been appreciated. A smaller group makes it easier to hear the guide, ask questions, and take photos without blocking a crowd. It also gives the guide a better chance to help children or anyone who needs extra time.

The route is suitable for wheelchair users and people with prams, with access throughout the tour. This is a real strength, although one past experience showed why group pacing still matters. A wheelchair user needed more time, and the guide rushed some of the later areas. I would not treat that as the normal experience, but it is sensible to tell the tour team about mobility needs when booking.

A few limits to keep in mind

This is an active stadium, not a museum preserved in silence. After a major event, cleaning and maintenance may be underway. Noisy equipment once made it hard for a group to hear the guide, and some outside areas near food outlets were reported as dirty.

Those details do not cancel out the value of the tour, but they explain why conditions may vary. If you want a polished, quiet building at every stop, choose your date carefully and avoid going immediately after a major event if possible.

Access to specific team areas can also vary. One Dockers supporter felt the tour spent more time in the Eagles area and moved too quickly through the Dockers section. If you have a strong team preference, ask at check-in what areas are likely to be included that day.

The tour does not operate on event days or public holidays. This is important in Perth, where the stadium calendar can be busy. Check availability before arranging transport or building the rest of your day around the visit.

There may also be no dedicated tour booklet or literature to buy afterward. If you like collecting printed material from stadium visits, bring your own camera and rely on the lanyard as the included keepsake.

Is $24 good value?

At $24 per person, I consider this a good-value Perth activity. You receive a 90-minute guided experience, access to restricted stadium areas, the high-level city view, and a collectible lanyard.

The price is particularly reasonable for families. A young child can enjoy the movement, rooms, views, and stories without needing to understand every sporting detail. It also works for mixed groups, which is useful when one person loves footy and another is simply curious about architecture or large public venues.

The value is less clear if you only want a panoramic view. You can find city views elsewhere, and the Sky View Lounge is only one part of the route. The tour earns its price through the combination of views, private areas, memorabilia, and guide commentary.

I would also compare it with the cost of a match ticket. A match gives you the atmosphere of a live event, but not the change rooms, coaches’ spaces, or backstage route. This tour gives you a different kind of access without requiring you to plan around a fixture.

Who should book this Optus Stadium tour?

I would recommend it to:

• Sports fans who want to see facilities beyond the spectator seats
• Families looking for a manageable activity in Perth
• Visitors who enjoy modern architecture and large public buildings
• People who have attended an Optus Stadium event and want to understand the venue better
• Football or cricket supporters visiting from interstate or overseas
• Anyone who wants a low-cost activity with a strong city viewpoint

It is also a good choice for people who do not follow sport closely. The tour explains the venue in plain terms, and the access itself is interesting. You can enjoy the stadium as a piece of design and engineering, even if you cannot tell an Eagles jumper from a Dockers one.

I would be more cautious if you dislike walking through large venues, need a very quiet environment, or want guaranteed access to one particular team’s facilities. The route is accessible, but the pace and areas shown can depend on stadium operations and the guide.

Practical tips for a smoother visit

Arrive 10 minutes early and go directly to The OZONE below City View Cafe, past Gate D. Do not assume the nearest large gate is the meeting point.

Wear comfortable shoes and bring identification. An ID card is required, and a copy is accepted. You should also bring a camera, since the views and behind-the-scenes areas provide plenty of good photo stops.

If you need wheelchair or pram access, the route is designed to accommodate both. Still, arrive early and mention your needs so the guide can plan the pace as well as possible.

Check the calendar before you go. Tours do not run on event days or public holidays, and the stadium can feel different after a major match, when cleaning or maintenance may be taking place.

For a pleasant add-on, visit City View Cafe before or after the tour on a weekday. Its stated hours are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, so do not count on it for an evening stop.

FAQ

How long is the Optus Stadium guided tour?

The tour lasts 90 minutes. Some visits may run a little longer, depending on the guide and the group.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $24 per person.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet at The OZONE, below City View Cafe and past Gate D. Look for the teardrop flags outside.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Wheelchair and pram access is available throughout the tour.

How can I reach Optus Stadium?

You can arrive by taxi, walking, bicycle, ferry, bus, or train on weekends. Armadale Line services stop at Stadium Station on weekends, and the Little Ferry Co. stops daily at Burswood Jetty.

Does the tour operate on event days and public holidays?

No. Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays.

Should you book it?

I would book this tour if you want more than a quick look at Perth’s stadium from the outside. The change rooms, coaches’ areas, Sky View Lounge, and city views give you a useful mix of access and scenery, while the guides add the stories that make the empty venue feel active.

Choose your date with care, arrive early, and keep your expectations flexible about the exact route. For $24, this is a strong pick for sports fans, families, and curious visitors alike, even if your knowledge of Australian football ends at knowing that a ball is involved.