Geelong City Guide
GMHBA Stadium at Kardinia Park during a night AFL match

GMHBA Stadium (Kardinia Park)

GMHBA Stadium at Kardinia Park in South Geelong is the home ground of the Geelong Cats and holds 40,000 since the Joel Selwood Stand opened in 2024. On AFL match days there is no public parking, so take the train: South Geelong station is 450 m from the ground, about an hour from Southern Cross.

GMHBA Stadium is the football ground at Kardinia Park, 354 Moorabool Street, South Geelong, and the home of the Geelong Cats. It has held 40,000 since the Joel Selwood Stand was finished in 2024. On match days there’s no public parking, so come by train: South Geelong station is 450 m from the ground, and Geelong station is 1.8 km away.

The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust runs the venue. This guide is independent and not connected to the Trust, the AFL or the club.

The ground

Fact Detail
Address 354 Moorabool Street, South Geelong
Capacity 40,000
Newest stand Joel Selwood Stand, 14,000 seats, opened 16 March 2024
Stage 5 cost $142 million
Event-day ticket sales Gate 1 (Polly Farmer), Gate 5 (Bernie Smith), Gate 13 (Bob Davis)
Payment Cashless

Checked October 2026 on the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust website.

The Trust describes it as the largest stadium outside Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The final stand, at the northern end, lifted capacity to 40,000, and the first game in it, Geelong v St Kilda in Round 1 of 2024, drew a reported record crowd of 39,352. The northern end also has Ablett Terrace, a ticketed standing area, and the Geelong Sports Museum.

The ground hosts more than Cats games: the Trust counted 44 on-field events in 2024-25, and Geelong’s AFLW side had six home games in its 2026 fixture.

Kardinia Park, or Kardinyu, has been a gathering place for thousands of years. Djilang Plaza, opened in 2024, honours the Wadawurrung, the Traditional Owners.

Getting there on match day

By train (best). V/Line runs from Southern Cross to Geelong in about an hour. Stay on to South Geelong station, 450 m east of the ground, if your train stops there. V/Line may add services on major event days.

From Geelong station. It’s 1.8 km south to the ground. On one past game day, when V/Line swapped trains for coaches, the Western Bulldogs told fans the coach from Geelong station to South Geelong could take 40 minutes in traffic and that walking took about 20.

By bus. Local buses stop on Moorabool Street opposite Gate 5 and Gate 1. Routes change on major event days.

By taxi. A taxi rank operates on Verner Street after major events. You can book Geelong taxis on 131 008.

By car. Don’t plan on parking at the ground. The venue says there is no general public parking for events, and part of Moorabool Street closes from 60 minutes before the game until 30 minutes after. People with an Australian Disability Parking permit can use limited parking at Gate B6. Otherwise park in a city car park and walk about 1 km; the Geelong parking guide lists rates and the free streets.

Coming from Melbourne for the day? The Melbourne to Geelong guide has the train options and the half-price fares in place until 1 January 2027.

Rules at the gate

  • Cashless: the venue doesn’t take cash.
  • Prams: not allowed at AFL and BBL games unless it’s a stroller that fits safely under your seat.
  • Prohibited items: listed in the venue’s Conditions of Entry; check before you pack a bag.

Accessibility

The venue lists several options for visitors with limited mobility:

  • Match days: limited parking at Gate B6 for Australian Disability Parking permit holders, and accessible entry lanes at Gates 1, 5, 8 and 13.
  • Other days: accessible spaces on Moorabool Street in front of Sports House, a few in the A3 car park by the Premiership Stand, and on Park Crescent in front of the Kardinia Aquatic Centre.
  • Drop-off: a drop-off zone near the Geelong Football Umpire League building.

The Trust’s accessibility page covers seating and facilities in more detail. Contact the venue through its website before the game if you need to arrange anything.

Hotels near GMHBA Stadium

If you’re coming from interstate or Melbourne for a night game, stay within walking distance and skip the car entirely.

Hotel Address Straight line to the ground Notes
Kardinia Park Motel 422 La Trobe Terrace, Newtown About 400 m Closest
Admiralty Inn 66 McKillop Street About 600 m Free guest parking, pool
Rydges Geelong Corner Gheringhap and Myers streets About 800 m Pool; parking $27 a night, pre-book
Quest Geelong Central 71-77 Gheringhap Street About 1 km Apartments with kitchens
Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong 40 Ryrie Street About 1.1 km Indoor pool; near Geelong station

Checked October 2026. Distances are straight-line from the stadium, so walking is a little further. Hotel parking fees change, so confirm when you book.

For a home game against a big Melbourne club, book as soon as the fixture comes out. The where to stay in Geelong guide has the full list, including waterfront hotels under 2 km from the ground.

Before and after the game

The ground is about 1 km south of the city centre by road. Little Creatures has a working brewery in a 1920s wool mill in South Geelong and runs a 1.5-hour brewery tour with a tasting paddle (see the box on this page). The Geelong waterfront is about 2 km north, with the carousel, Cunningham Pier and Eastern Beach for a non-footy morning.

Free parking around the Kardinia Park precinct applies on non-event days only. On game days, plan on walking.

Before or after the game

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Geelong: Little Creatures Brewery Tour with Tasting Paddle

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A guided look round the working Little Creatures brewery in an old 1920s wool mill in South Geelong, finishing with a tasting paddle.

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Questions people ask

How do you get to GMHBA Stadium on match day?

Take the V/Line train from Southern Cross to South Geelong station, about an hour, then walk 450 m to the ground. V/Line may add extra services on big match days. From Geelong station the walk is about 1.8 km. Local buses stop on Moorabool Street opposite Gate 5 and Gate 1, but routes change on major event days, so check before you travel.

Is there parking at GMHBA Stadium?

Not for the public on event days. The venue says there is no general public parking for events, and part of Moorabool Street closes 60 minutes before and 30 minutes after. Holders of an Australian Disability Parking permit can use limited parking at Gate B6. On non-event days parking around the Kardinia Park precinct is free. If you must drive, use a city car park and walk.

What is the capacity of GMHBA Stadium?

GMHBA Stadium holds 40,000 people, according to the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, after the 14,000-seat Joel Selwood Stand was finished in 2024. The Trust calls it the largest stadium outside Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The new stand opened at the Round 1 match against St Kilda on 16 March 2024, which drew a reported record crowd of 39,352.

Which hotels are closest to GMHBA Stadium?

Kardinia Park Motel on La Trobe Terrace is about 400 m from the ground, and Admiralty Inn on McKillop Street about 600 m, both with on-site parking. In the city centre, Rydges Geelong is about 800 m away, Quest Geelong Central about 1 km and Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong about 1.1 km. Distances are straight-line from the stadium. Book early for Cats home games.

Is GMHBA Stadium the same as Kardinia Park?

Yes and no. Kardinia Park is the parkland and sporting precinct in South Geelong, and GMHBA Stadium is the football ground inside it, run by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust. Many people use the two names for the same place. The Trust notes that Kardinia Park, or Kardinyu, has been a gathering place for thousands of years, on Wadawurrung Country.