FAQ

Patrons won’t be required to have two doses or show their vaccination status before entering any venue.

Masks are not mandatory, however are recommended when it is not possible to socially distance.

Where possible please keep 1.5m apart from other patrons while moving through the stadium.

No, GMHBA Stadium is a cashless venue.

Due to the Stage 5 redevelopment of the northern stands of the stadium, the accessible parking located off Moorabool Street will no longer be available moving forward.

On Major Event days, Accessible Parking will now be located in the C7 parking area for patrons with an Accessible Parking Permit. 

• Entry off Park Crescent, please refer to the map below for directions
• The customer service/traffic staff will be able to direct you to the assigned accessible parking area

Click HERE to access the Accessible Parking Map

On Non-Major Event days

Accessible parking is available in the following locations:

• Limited spaces are located within the A3 car park directly out the front of the Premiership Stand.
• Along Park Crescent directly in front of Kardinia Aquatic Centre

Assistance dogs are permitted entry into the venue – please ensure they are wearing their specific uniform so they can be easily identified   

Braille signage is displayed on elevators as well as within the Brownlow and Premiership Stand seating sections and restrooms.

There is disabled and carer/companion seating available throughout the venue in different locations, subject to availability.

Disabled seating is located in the following sections:

The Reg Hickey Stand
All disabled seating is undercover and is located on Level A which can be accessed via the north and south ramps from both Gate 1 – Polly Farmer and Gate 5 – Bernie Smith
(28 wheelchair spaces and 28 carer/companion seats available)

The Premiership Stand
All disabled seating is accessible via Level 1 and can be reached by entering Gate 5 – Bernie Smith, Gate 8 – Doug Wade and/or Gate 13 – Bob Davis and taking the lift(s) to level 1
(18 spaces and 18 carer/companion seats available)


The Players Stand
All disabled seating is located on Level 1 and is accessible by entering Gate 5 – Bernie Smith or Gate 8 – Doug Wade and taking the lift(s) to level 1
(57 spaces and 57 carer/companion seats)

Brownlow Stand
The disabled seating is accessible for both public and corporate guests – all located within the Level 1 seating bowl. These can be reached by entering Gate 13 – Bob Davis and taking the lift(s) to Level 1 (or 2 for the corporate spaces)
(22 spaces and 22 carer/companion seats for the public sector; and
17 spaces and 17 carer/companion seats for the corporate guests)

For Major Events such as AFL, we recommend you pre-book your ticket via Ticketmaster by calling the accessible seating line on 1300 446 925 or via the Geelong Cats Membership Services team on 1300 462 287.

Patrons with companion cards must present the companion card when purchasing a ticket to Major Events at GMHBA Stadium.

A First aid station can be found at the back of Players Stand (Ground Level).

Hearing loops are available in the Presidents Room and Deakin Cats Community Centre (DCCC).

Mobility aids and prams are permitted into venue, but must be stowed safely under your seat not block patron access or exits.

A Parents’ Room is located on Level 1 Brownlow Stand, near Bay A36.

Disabled toilets are located throughout the entire venue and feature a baby change table. Breast pumps are permitted inside GMHBA Stadium.

All men’s and women’s toilets in Players Stand, Premiership Stand and Brownlow Stands have ambulant cubicles.

There are also a number of dedicated disabled toilets located throughout the venue. All disabled toilets in the venue are unisex and also feature a baby change table.

Disabled access is available at all major gates and throughout the venue.  For assistance or to navigate the best path of travel, please don’t hesitate to ask any of our friendly and helpful staff or contact us prior to discuss your access requirements.

There are ten water fountains located throughout the venue that are wheelchair accessible.

Events at GMHBA Stadium utilise a ticketing provider. When it comes to purchasing tickets, please ensure you have read which authorised ticketing agency has been engaged – whether it be Ticketmaster or Ticketek.

All tickets should be purchased from a legitimate retailer and should you purchase a ticket via another service i.e.  Viagogo, eBay, Gumtree, scalpers, or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void and/or have been/will be cancelled.

Ticketing Agencies 

• Ticketmaster on 13 61 00

https://www.tickemaster.com.au 

• Ticketek on 13 28 49

https://www.ticketek.com.au 

Event day tickets can be purchased at Gate 1 – Polly Farmer, Gate 5 – Bernie Smith and Gate 13 – Bob Davis. Ticket sale from the gates will be updated within the event page.

Keep a record of your transaction and account number to assist the staff to quickly and efficiently handle your query.

Contact the ticketing agency you have purchased from prior to the event:

Ticketmaster: 13 61 00
Ticketek: 13 28 49

If you lose your tickets on the way to the event, please see one of the friendly staff members at any of the ticket offices located at the venue.

Tickets may or may not be eligible for refund, depending on the event. All ticket refunds will need to go through the ticketing agency.

Please visit the:

Ticketmaster refund page

Ticketek refund page

These pages will provide you with the adequate information on how to apply for a refund.

Please contact the ticketing agency for the specific event if you would like to change your original seating location due to medical reasons.

Ticketmaster: 13 61 00

Ticketek: 13 28 49

Concession availability and entitlements vary from event to event, depending on the club or promoter. Information about concession tickets will be provided at point of sale on the ticketing agency website.

Certain items are not permitted inside the venue. Please refer to the GMHBA Stadium Conditions of Entry for a list of prohibited items.

Patrons are permitted to bring sealed plastic bottles of water, soft drink or sports drink into the Stadium up to 1.25L.

Consider the environment and bring a re-usable water bottle to refill at one of our 10 bottle refill stations available around the stadium.

Any open water bottles maybe checked by security due liquor licensing requirements.

Prams are permitted into venue however  must fit and be placed safely under your seat or cloaked, this is to not block access/exits for other patrons.

Soft eskies are permitted so long as they fit under your seat. Hard eskies are not permitted into GMHBA Stadium.

Thermoses containing tea, coffee and soup are allowed. These may be checked by security due to liquor licensing requirements.

Aerosol cans, including any aerosol spray on sunscreens, are not permitted inside the venue. However, sunscreen in non-aerosol pump containers and tubes are permitted.

Umbrellas are permitted but cannot be raised inside the venue as they block the view of other patrons. We recommend that you bring a jacket or poncho if rain is forecast.

Pass-outs are issued at the discretion of the Stadium. Should a pass-out be applicable, patrons will need to have their ticket scanned out and re-scanned on their way in to regain entry into the venue.

To report any anti-social behaviour during events, you can text our text line on 0488 252 000 and Stadium Management will deal with the issue as promptly as possible.

If you would like to raise any concerns outside of event days, please send an email to enquiries@kardiniapark.vic.gov.au

Kardinia Park Stadium Trust are committed to ensuring GMHBA Stadium is a comfortable and supported environment for all, including those with access needs. Please view the accessibility section of our website to view full details of the services available for visitors with access needs.

GMHBA Stadium is an outdoor, open-air facility. An event may be delayed if adverse weather is experienced, however, this decision is determined by the Trust and event promoter.

Patrons should check Kardinia Park Stadium Trust Facebook for updated details, and prepare for wet weather by bringing jackets or ponchos. Umbrellas are not permitted to be used inside the venue as they block the view of other patrons.

A change to traffic conditions will be in place around GMHBA Stadium during and after major events. Please visit the event page for specific details.

Post-match Kick to Kick is subject to venue management decision on the event day.

There is limited public car parking is available within the Kardinia Park Precinct.

For most Major Events, a parking fee will be applied, and should there be a large crowd, car parks will be held for 10 minutes post any event to allow for the safe egress of pedestrians.

A drop off area is located at car park A2 which can be accessed via the main entry into Kardinia Park, Kilgour Street.

Accessible parking is available via Entrance E: via Moorabool Street 

Please note, vehicles must display a valid accessible parking permit to obtain access.

There is also limited parking available in the surrounding streets, however, please be mindful that Council Restrictions are enforced.

Please note, should inclement weather occur the car parks can be shut at any time to ensure the safety of patrons within the precinct.

Please refer to the event page for more details on parking, road closures and access to the stadium.

Free Parking is available throughout the Kardinia Park Precinct.

Accessible parking is available in the following locations:

• Along Moorabool Street  directly out the front of Sports House
• Limited spaces are located within the A3 car park directly out the front of the Premiership Stand; and
• Along Park Crescent directly in front of Kardinia Aquatic Centre

A drop-off zone is available near the Geelong Football Umpire League (GFUL) building.

Public Bus Stops are located along Moorabool Street, directly opposite  Gate 5 – Bernie Smith (river end) and Gate 1 – Polly Farmer (city end).

Please note: The bus routes are subject to change based on road closures along Moorabool Street – these will be implemented for specific Major Events and you should continue to monitor the Kardinia Park website for updates.

View these webpages for more information and to find the most appropriate stop for you:

• Public Transport Victoria
• CDC Victoria

McHarry’s Buslines Geelong

Supporter buses enter off Latrobe Terrace into Park Crescent and park in front of the marked bus bay directly outside the Kardinia Park Aquatic Centre. This is where passengers depart the bus and head to their respective entry (refer to your ticket). These buses will stay here for the duration of the match.

Geelong is approximately one hour from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, with the Geelong Railway Station situated 1.8 kilometres to the north of the stadium and South Geelong Station located 450 metres to the east. Making ‘getting to the stadium’ simple and convenient.

Additional services may be provided by V/Line on Major Event days. Patrons are encouraged to visit the V/Line and/or Public Transport Victoria websites, for more information.

One Major Event days, a Taxi Rank is located on Moorabool Street (directly opposite Gate 1 – Polly Farmer). This Rank is located outside of the Road Closures.

Taxis can be booked at any time by phoning 131 008.

The Sensory Zone is the name of the holistic project behind our Sensory Inclusive Stadium accreditation.  It includes the provision of a Sensory Room, Sensory Bags, Weighted Lap Mats, Social Stories and Staff Training. The Sensory Zone is more than a sensory room, it is an inclusive, equitable program providing outstanding customer experiences.

A sensory need/sensory processing challenge is when a guest finds noises, smells, lights and even crowds not only overwhelming from the sensory perspective but also sometimes physically painful. Because of this, these guests often find visiting a stadium event challenging.

Sensory sensitivities are not isolated to people with autism. Up to 1 in 5 people can experience sensitivities including people with Downs Syndrome, people with PTSD, adults with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety sufferers and stroke patients just to name a few.

The Sensory Room is located in the Deakin Cats Community Centre on the ground level concourse at the back of the Players Stand – inside Gate 8 (Doug Wade Gate).

When accessing the Sensory Room from Zone 1 or 3 please see staff member for assistance’

These resources are available to each patron visiting the stadium.

All resources are free of any charge.

No reservation is required. However, please be mindful that at busy times there may be multiple users of the space.

Basic information such as name, age, number of people in your group, times entered/exited are gathered at the Sensory Zone to help assess the initiative’s overall use and track trends.  Waivers are also required to be signed when accessing the Sensory Zone, a Sensory Bag or Weighted Lap Mat.

In the interests of continual improvement, it is also optional to provide an email address and participate in a survey about your experience at the stadium.

Yes, there are facilities located approx. 30m from the Sensory Room on the ground level of Players Stand.

Water is most welcome, but it is a food-free zone.

Yes, parental/guardian/carer supervision is required at all times. This is a formal requirement of the room.

Sensory bags containing fidget toys, noise cancelling headphones, anti-glare sunglasses and other resources, are available for checkout on Major Event days. These are available at no cost, however, you will be required to leave a license/ID.

To access a Sensory bag in Zones 1 and 3 please see staff member for assistance. If you are in  Zone 2, these can be accessed via the Sensory Room or First Aid Room

Sensory bags are to be returned to the same collection point on the same day as the event.

• Glare free sunglasses
• Fidget tools
• Noise cancelling headphones

Kardinia Park Stadium Trust and the Geelong Cats have developed social stories with support from Deakin University, which aim to show guests what they may see and experience during an event at GMHBA stadium. The social stories have photographs and simple text and are read or shared with guests prior to attending. Many people find social stories can help prepare them and feel more comfortable about what they may experience throughout the day.

These are available below for download in Word for ease of personalisation.

AFL

Big Bash League

A-League

Download the “Going to GMHBA Stadium for a Geelong Cats game Social Story” here (.doc)
Download the “Going to GMHBA Stadium for a Melbourne Renegades game Social Story” here (.doc)
Download the “Going to GMHBA Stadium Social Story for a Western United game” here (.doc)

The following websites have some great advice/suggestions or talk to your healthcare provider.

• https://www.spdstar.org/
• http://sinetwork.org/home-activities-children/
• https://sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport.com/
• https://www.spdstar.org/node/938

KultureCity is a leading non-profit recognized nationwide for using their resources to revolutionize and effect change in the community for those with sensory needs; not just those with Autism.

Since the program’s inception, KultureCity has created over 200 sensory inclusive venues in 3 countries; this includes special events such as: NFL Pro-Bowl, NFL Super Bowl, MLB All Star Weekend. KultureCity has won many awards for its efforts: NASCAR Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award in 2017, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Quiet Space Sensory Room at Quicken Loans Arena was a finalist for the 2018 Stadium Business Award, and the 2018 Clio Sports Silver for social good in partnership with Cleveland Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena.

Recently, KultureCity was awarded one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2019 by FastCompany.

We thank our collaborating partners: Geelong Cats, Leisure Networks, Deakin University, BCYF, Barwon Paediatric Services, Kane Constructions, La Trobe Community Health Service, NDIS, G21, Gateways Support Services, Armstrong Creek School, Diversitat, Early Childhood Early Intervention Working Group, Untapped, Kane Constructions and City of Greater Geelong and the Percy Baxter Charitable Trust managed by Perpetual.

Please visit the Contact us section of our website.