Let’s make The Domain the best outdoor concert venue in the world
Oliver Derum

With room for audiences of 150,000+, more space for active recreation, grass cover and trees

As amazing as it sounds, this can all be achieved by moving the stage to near the lowest part of the site. That location capitalises on the Domain’s natural contours to create a venue that is much larger, but also more intimate and with better sightlines. By utilising a smaller, simpler stage/backstage area (potentially incorporating the existing restaurant for performances) dramatically less space will also be lost (and cost incurred) in construction and deconstruction of the stage, a process that takes many weeks.

The reorientation offers further significant benefits in terms of the Domain’s primary purpose – active and passive recreation, especially strong peak usage for informal team sport during workday lunchtimes. As shown, the path that exists for use only when the stage is being built or used would no longer be required. Combining this with strategic removal of around six inappropriate trees would increase the amount of grassed area available by ~20%.

These removals would be more than offset by planting Sydney Red Gums and Sydney Blue Gums in the steep section at the west of the site, which is favoured by ‘lunchtime sitters’ and would offer outstanding views of the new stage. Two eucalypts are currently growing here (see green star), providing dappled shade that allows grass to grow right up to their trunks.