THE MANY FACES OF CARRARA STADIUM
From the spectacular opening ceremony, to the track and field competition, to the closing ceremony and back to an AFL oval, the main Games venue is set to undergo several transformations in quick succession
THE transformation of Carrara Stadium has begun.
Just five weeks from today, the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will be held at Carrara, with the eyes of the world on the Gold Coast.
A potential television audience of more than a billion is expected to tune in to the spectacular and few will have any idea about the machinations that have gone on to turn a working athletics venue into the scene of the opening spectacular.
The venue will turn around three more times in the coming weeks and months – from an opening ceremony platform to a track and field venue, then to the site of the Games closing ceremony, and finally back into an AFL oval ahead of handover back to the Gold Coast Suns.
GOLDOC deputy chief Brian Nourse has been leading planning for the stadium changeover for years.
“What we’re doing here is quite common for for these types of events,” Nourse said.
“Previous Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games have had their opening ceremonies in the athletics venue and have a number of transitions throughout the whole journey to the closing ceremony.”
As soon as the Commonwealth Games track and field trials finished at the venue less than two weeks ago, an army of workers took to the field, to turn years of planning into practice.
Grass on the athletics infield was taken up just hours after the last competitors had finished their events, with the pristine turf to be returned to the supplier for sale.
Rubber matting will be brought in to protect the infield and the track as the venue is transformed for the opening spectacular.
“Immediately after that event finished
THIS IS EXCITING FOR LOTS OF REASONS – FOR WHAT IT’S GOING TO DO FOR THE REGION, FOR WHAT IT’S GOING TO DO FOR THE GOLD COAST
BRIAN NOURSE, GOLDOC
we commenced the transition of the venue to be able to support the opening ceremony on April 4,” Nourse said.
“And then after the opening ceremony, very, very quickly, we remove all the overlay that’s been brought in for the ceremony and transition it for the athletics field of play which starts on the fourth day after the opening ceremony.
“Once that finishes on (April 14), we transition into the stage for the closing ceremony.
“And after that, we return the stadium to its former glory for the Suns.”
Nourse has been involved in several Games campaigns, including in Melbourne and Glasgow, leading to his role on the Gold Coast.
“Every Games has its unique opportunities and highlights and this will be no different,” he said.
“This is exciting for lots of reasons – for what it’s going to do for the region, for what it’s going to do for the Gold Coast, it’s really going to provide fantastic longterm benefits for the Gold Coast and the bits and pieces that the Games is contributing to that is exciting.
“Particularly now with 35 days to go, we’re really at the pointy end and to see the stadium as it was a couple of weeks ago (for the athletics trials), that’s when it really becomes exciting, when all that work over many years comes to fruition and you’ve got athletes out there competing.
“We’ve got the swimming (Australian trials) starting today (at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre) and the venue looks fantastic. That’s when it really gets exciting because you know the Games are literally around the corner.”