Our History
Where did it all begin?
Construction of the original stadium began in 1986 and opened the following year after the Brisbane Bears were granted a license to play in the VFL. Then known as Carrara Oval, the highest crowd recorded in that era was in 1989 when 18,198 people watched the Bears play Geelong. However crowds dwindled and the Bears moved to the Gabba in Brisbane in 1993. The ground was left without a major tenant and was sold to the Gold Coast City Council. The ground occasionally played host to Rugby League games and in 1996, the Gold Coast Chargers moved full-time to the stadium until 1998 when they were kicked out from the ARL. The venue had main grandstands on either side of the ground, and grassed areas and seating behind the goals, with a total capacity of around 18,000 including 5,300 undercover seats.
Heritage Bank Stadium (formerly Metricon Stadium) at Carrara on the Gold Coast re-opened in mid-2011 following a $144 million major redevelopment into a 22,500-seat stadium for the Gold Coast Suns AFL expansion club. The venue also served as the main stadium for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, hosting the athletics, opening and closing ceremonies. Capacity was extended to 40,000 for the Games with the addition of a temporary grandstand at the scoreboard end. All that remains of the old stadium are the six light towers with everything else flattened. Original plans were for two main grandstands on either side with uncovered seating behind both goals, however additional funding allowed for the roof to continue around the Southern end.The major redevelopment transformed the old Carrara Stadium into a world-class venue. As well as being home of the new Gold Coast Suns Football Club, the venue also plays host to cricket fixtures and it also served as the main venue for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The stadium is a Stadium’s Queensland venue operated by the Gold Coast Suns and was designed by Populous and built by Watpac.
See the time lapse of the construction all come together.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Home of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Ceremonies & Athletics
Queen + Adam Lambert: The Rhapsody Tour 2020
February 2020 saw 40,000 people pack Heritage Bank Stadium (formerly Metricon Stadium) to see Queen + Adam Lambert bring the house down!