The first interior renders of the work underway on Sydney’s Afterpay Arena transformation have been revealed.
Roastbrief said the transformation offers an exclusive look at the design-led overhaul of Australia’s most iconic indoor entertainment venue.
The revamp– spanning two redesigned bar and hospitality spaces, a complete foyer uplift, and a venue-wide wayfinding system – has been built around a single organising idea: that every moment inside Afterpay Arena belongs to elevating the fan experience.
Nick Molnar, Co-founder and CEO of Afterpay said, “There are two sides to a great live experience. There’s the excitement that drives you to purchase the tickets, and then there’s what you actually came to the Arena for – the moment you get to see your favourite band, team, or comedian live.
“Everything you’re seeing in these designs has been built around making that in-person moment memorable.”
The 21,000-capacity Afterpay Arena is a large multipurpose arena located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in the Sydney Olympic Park and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics.
The Afterpay Arena transformation project has been delivered in collaboration with creative agency BUCK, architect The Studio* Collaborative, and technology and signage specialists Beyond Media.
Central to BUCK’s creative strategy is the reimagining of the venue as a gallery – one where every touchpoint becomes an opportunity for art, discovery, and atmosphere.
Emma Kaniuk, Brand Creative Director, BUCK said, “BUCK reimagined Afterpay Arena as a gallery, flipping the typical sponsored environment on its head. Instead of treating the walls as advertising real estate, we treated them as opportunities for art and discovery.
“This approach extends the project’s grounding philosophy of ‘time well spent’ to the entire fan journey – from the entrance, through the pre-show anticipation, and into the event itself,”
The scope of the Afterpay Arena transformation refurbishment is venue-wide. The centrepiece of the new foyer is one of the world’s largest transparent holographic LED installations – three 7-metre-wide immersive screens suspended from the ceiling and integrated directly into the venue entry experience.
At 92% transparency, the effect is less screen, more atmosphere: washes of colour and movement that heighten anticipation before patrons even reach the Arena floor.
Tom Matthews, Managing Director, Beyond Media, said, “To our knowledge, this will be the third-largest transparent LED installation of its kind in the world – but the scale is only part of the story. What makes it truly unique is how the technology disappears into the architecture. Rather than functioning as a screen or advertising surface, it becomes part of the arrival experience itself,”
Digital wayfinding screens throughout the foyer and at key entry points form part of a venue-wide navigation system designed for the full range of visitors. Every step of the journey has been mapped to reduce cognitive load, support intuitive inference, ensuring the experience works for every person in the arena.
The Bars and Hospitality Spaces
The two redesigned bar and hospitality spaces – a casual, family-friendly lower bar and a refined upper lounge – were designed by The Studio* Collaborative to feel distinct yet connected, unified through a shared material language while responding to the different atmospheres and operational needs of each.
Renee Gigliotti, Associate Director, The Studio* Collaborative, said, “The design vision for the transformation was centred on elevating the user experience through a contemporary, hospitality-led environment that feels immersive, energetic, and distinctly connected to the Afterpay brand, while remaining respectful of the venue’s existing architectural character and scale,”
The architectural language draws directly from the Afterpay brand through the use of rounded forms, pill-shaped references, and softened detailing, balanced against a restrained monochromatic palette of greys, whites, and bold black elements.
Subtle textural variation, reflective finishes, and adaptable lighting introduce depth, movement, and atmosphere in a refined and considered manner.
In a commitment to environmental responsibility, the Afterpay Arena transformation project team worked with the venue’s existing infrastructure wherever possible – repurposing existing signage frames and mounts to reduce onsite waste, and introducing new hardware only where strictly necessary for legibility and impact.
Alongside the physical transformation, Afterpay Arena will be home to the most comprehensive Square commerce deployment within any Australian entertainment venue – a unified payments, hospitality, and merchandise ecosystem powered by Square across food and beverage, retail, and merchandise operations throughout the venue.
The deployment will span 150 Square Registers and 65 Square Handheld devices across bars, concessions, premium hospitality spaces, and merchandise outlets throughout the arena – so every transaction is as fast as possible, and fans spend more time where they came to be.
Among the first shows to take the stage at the transformed Afterpay Arena will be Laufey, Alex Warren, Tame Impala, J Cole, Khalid, Robyn, Louis Tomlinson, Olivia Dean, Zara Larsson, and Hilary Duff – with a full calendar of world-class entertainment to follow.
Project Credits
Creative & Wayfinding – BUCK
Architecture & Interior Design – The Studio* Collaborative
Lighting Design – Light Practice
Refurbishment Project Management – Generate
Construction – QB Interiors
Signage & Technology Installation – Beyond Media
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