The Ashes West Test Ignites At Optus Stadium, Here’s How To Navigate The Chaos
After much anticipation, the Ashes Test cricket series is rising like a phoenix and returning to Australia for 2025. The five-match series is held every two years, with hosting duties alternating between long-time rivals Australia and England. After our grand Aussie victory in the 2021 series (which we're still clinging to after the draw in the 2023 series) we’re hoping for another win on home soil, which will no doubt be treated with humility and grace.
The boys are polishing their bats and steaming their cricket whites to kick off the Ashes series with the West Test at Optus Stadium. This opening match spans five days from Friday 21 November to Tuesday 25 November, before heading to The Gabba in Brisbane from 4 December to 8 December, Adelaide Oval from 17 December to 21 December, the MCG from 26 December to 30 December, and concluding at the SCG from 4 January to 8 January.
This sporting phenomenon is a rich piece of Aussie history, and always brings plenty of laughs, entertainment, and friendly competition. And now that it’s Australia’s turn to host, you definitely don’t want to miss out, so find out more and access tickets for each venue here.
If you’re planning an Optus Stadium excursion, we’ve got you covered with all the deets below, from how to get there, where to eat, and what to expect on event days.
Jump To:
- The Ashes Gate Times
- What's On At Optus
- Getting To Optus Stadium
- Parking At Optus Stadium
- Conditions Of Entry
- Where To Eat Before And After
- Where To Eat At Optus Stadium
- How To Avoid Local Traffic
The Ashes Gate Times
This season’s inaugural Ashes Test spans over five sunny, spirited days at Optus Stadium, opening with a bang on Friday (Day 1) and finishing up on Tuesday (Day 5).
The Optus Stadium gates will swing open at the following times:
- Day 1 and 2: 8:30am
- Day 3: 9am
- Day 4 and 5: 9:30am
What’s On At Optus?
Addressing the elephant in the room, obviously The Ashes are on this weekend. But Optus Stadium is buzzing with other events too! Here’s what you should save space for in the calendar this weekend:
- West Fest. As part of the WA Day Festival, West Fest is taking over the Stadium Park, the WACA Ground and Burswood Park, offering games for the kids, live music and local DJs, WA’s best street eats, and some fabulous entertainment.
- Pair’d pop up. Celebrate the southwest’s diamond of the season, the Margaret River Region Pair’d event. They’re bringing the finest wine and most gourmet food from Margs all the way to Optus Stadium for four days of sipping and munching in the Stadium Park.
- The West Test Hill. Inspired by Perth’s WACA Ground, Optus Stadium has teamed up with NRMA Insurance to install a temporary hill holding up to 500 people. It’s taking us back to the simple days of community cricket on a picnic rug, and it gets you right up in the action.
You can also peep our what's on guide to see what else is happening around Perth this weekend.
How Do I Get To Optus Stadium?
Image Credit: Optus Stadium | Instagram
Public transport is the way to go, and if you’re headed to an event your ticket should include free travel on all Transperth services for three hours before and after.
Catching the train is super simple, because Optus has their own Perth Stadium Station you can disembark at, and it’s only a five-minute walk to the Stadium gates. If you’re taking the Yanchep or Fremantle lines, use the Western Concourse. If you’re on the Armadale, Thornlie-Cockburn or Perth lines, your train will depart from the Eastern Concourse.
Bus services will offer ten limited-stop routes operating along key corridors. The Suburban Event Bus Network schedules buses to reach the Stadium up to two hours prior to your event starting, arriving and departing from the Bus Hub. The Suburban Event Bus Network will run for 45 minutes after the final siren or event conclusion.
Keep in mind, event days will impact PT routes, especially if it’s on a weekday:
- Events held on weekdays will not have Suburban Event Buses or direct Yanchep/Fremantle line trains before the event.
- You’ll need to catch a timetabled train to Perth Station and transfer to the Armadale or Thornlie-Cockburn line.
- Or, take a regular timetabled bus to the city and then switch to a train to Perth Stadium Station.
You can also get dropped off in an Uber or Taxi, but it will be in the rideshare zone on Nelson Ave, not directly at Optus Stadium. From there, it’s an easy walk over the pedestrian Matagarup Bridge that arches over the Swan River from East Perth.
If you’re someone who finds joy in battling it out for a parking spot, you can also drive to Optus. Couldn’t be me, but I wish you the best of luck.
Can I Park At Optus Stadium?
The free public carparks at Optus Stadium are closed on event days, but you can still use nearby paid parking (just make sure you check the rates and closing times).
We suggest Crown Perth as the best place to park (for free), only a 15-minute walk from Optus. There's free parking at the P6 and P3 carparks, and paid parking at the P2 multi-level carpark, but you’ve gotta lock in because they fill up fast! Check out the parking map here.
If you need ACROD parking, there are limited bays available at Optus and you must register in advance (registrations open three weeks prior to any event). You’ll need an event ticket and an ACROD permit, and Optus will issue your parking pass by email.
What Are The Conditions Of Entry?
For everybody’s safety and enjoyment, there are a couple rules you need to follow when you’ve got an event at Optus on the agenda (and they may vary depending on what the event is, so check out the full list here).
- On entry, you will be subject to a security check (potential personal checks, wanding, bag search, container checks)
- Bags sizing is 30cm x 40cm max (including eskis)
- Children under 12 need a legal guardian or responsible adult with them
- Strollers and prams must be cloaked
- Alcohol cannot be brought into or removed from the Stadium
- Alcohol cannot be consumed in designated alcohol free zones in the Stadium
- Some of the premium hospitality facilities will have dress codes
- No glassware, cans or metal containers of any kind (sorry to the emotional support reusable water bottles)
- No oversized banners or flags
- No scooters, roller skates, skateboards, segways, push bikes, etc
- No professional cameras or broadcasting equipment
Where Can I Eat And Drink Before My Event?
If you’re planning on making a proper day of it, there are lots of options to grab a bite and treat yourself to a cheeky drink before and after your Optus event.
The Camfield is a classic choice for locals and tourists, sitting only 100m from the Stadium and housing five bars, 175 beer taps, and a massive beer garden for your enjoyment. This pub is always absolutely humming, and it’s first in, best dressed on Optus Stadium event days.
Another nearby haunt we love is Crown Perth, which is chock-full of restaurants, bars, and places to hang out. The Merrywell is a great spot for casual group dining, but we’d suggest making a booking to guarantee it. And you can always hit up the Cas after your event if you’re feeling lucky!
Want more options? Here are our fave nearby restaurants and bars for the perfect pre's and the best afters to sandwich your Optus Stadium event.
What Are My Food and Drink Options Inside Optus?
If you don’t have time for a pre-show feed but you want to keep your energy up, don’t stress. There are heaps of event day food and bev options on Level 1 and 5 for everyone to tuck into, but FYI, they only accept EFT payments.
Different events will have different food specials, but the general outlets include Proper Burgers by Matt Moran, Coasters Fish and Chips, Well Fed curries and nachos, True Blue Snacks offering all the classic nibbles, Little Napoli Pizza, Gourmet Hot Dogs, Biggie Smalls kebabs, and the Aussie staple Mrs Mac’s pies. There are plenty of bars around the Stadium to quench your thirst, too.
How Do I Avoid Traffic In The Area?
Even if you’re not headed into Optus Stadium for an event, you still have to keep an eye on the local traffic to avoid the hotspots.
The Graham Farmer Freeway through Belmont and the Great Eastern Highway through Burswood will likely be pretty congested on event days, including the roads surrounding Crown Perth. East Perth will also have heavier traffic due to the rideshare zones and bus ports.
We suggest watching for any road closures on the City of Perth website, and catching PT where you can to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
You can find more information about Optus Stadium here, and a map of the Stadium Park here.
Main Image Credit: Optus Stadium | Instagram
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