The Ready Steady Go Of Sports Stadium Lighting

We all love a night of sport under lights. But have you thought about what’s behind all that illumination? Sports arena and field lighting may be a niche well worth considering.

Friday and Saturday night footie is now regarded as prime time. But things didn’t always look quite so bright. A soccer match under electric light was held in Sheffield, England on October 14, 1878, and when it was reported in Australia, the seed was sown for night games in Aussie Rules. Until then, games were played only on Saturday afternoons (Sunday football was off limits until the late 1950s) so playing in the evenings was seen as potentially game-changing. And so the first VFA game under lights kicked off on August 5, 1879, the very same year Edison was credited with inventing the light bulb.

MCG under lights

East Melbourne Artillery v Collingwood Rifles drew a crowd of around 10,000 with more gathering outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the miracle that was an illuminated MCG. Entertainment included two bands and a half-time tug-of-war. The action took place under five specially built lights. One failed soon after ball-up and the rest weren’t great – reported at the time as being a cross between moonlight and twilight with dark patches making it hard to follow the ball.
The game ended prematurely when the Collingwood captain asked for a head count of the opposition and the spectators, assuming the game was over, invaded the pitch.

Undeterred, on August 13, 1879, the VFA staged a game between historical rivals Melbourne and Carlton. The ‘Under the Electric Light’ clash took place on a cold and damp night and the ‘electricians’ had to stoke the steam engine for an hour, leaving the crowd to shiver in darkness until finally a feeble light lifted the gloom. 

The players used a ball painted white that promptly burst, so play continued with an almost invisible tan ball until a new white one could be rustled up. The Navy Blues rose to the murky situation and scored three goals to Melbourne’s one.

It was to be many more years before night games under floodlights became a regular fixture. But things in electrics — and sport — never stand still. 

Modern stadiums worldwide

Here are some of the latest innovations in stadium lighting around the globe.

1. Perth Stadium, Perth

WA sports fans have been enjoy world-beating illumination since the new $1.2 billion Perth Stadium opened its doors in 2018. Philips Lighting was the company behind the largest LED stadium lighting system (15,000 LEDs) of its kind. The Stadium’s roof canopy acts as a backdrop for light shows and imagery via connected LED light points, creating a completely immersive lighting experience for the 60,000-seat venue. 

2. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Opened in 2017, the 185,000 square metre, $2 billion+ stadium is a one-of-a-kind wonderplex, featuring 4,000 solar panels and LED lighting that uses 29 per cent less energy than your typical stadium. Other features include a translucent, ocular retractable roof, the world’s largest LED scoreboard; interior sky bridges; 83,000 seats and Taylor Swift.

3. Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Qatar 

Among the venues being erected for the soccer World Cup 2022, Ras Abu Aboud, AKA Stadium 974, raises the bar in sustainable construction. Seating 40,000 spectators it will be used for matches up to the quarter-final stage then completely dismantled. Because it’s being built using shipping containers, removable seats and modular building blocks, most parts can then be repurposed for future projects. Fewer materials, tick. Lower construction costs, tick. No permanent, unused eyesore, tick.

4. The Cathedral in Milan

Still in the planning stages, the Cathedral promises to be Europe’s most sustainable football stadium. Set to become the new home of Italian football giants AC Milan and Inter Milan, it comes with a proposal to include 538,000 square feet of green space on top of underground parking. The aim for the stadium to have a net-zero carbon footprint includes cutting-edge measures to regulate electricity usage.