AIS Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Canberra, Australia, located on the grounds of the Australian Institute of Sport. It was built in 1981 and was originally named the National Indoor Sports Centre.
History
The arena was designed by Philip Cox & Partners and the main contractor was John Holland.[3] Architectural features include a 1200 tonne suspended concrete panel roof supported by 12 steel masts and 36 mainstay cables. The roof has a span of 100.4 metres. The stadium is partly set into the ground to reduce its scale and to establish a visual connection between the landscape and the mast and cable structure of the roof.[4]
In 2014, the AIS invested in a $200,000 removable floor to help it tap into new markets to increase revenue by attracting more sports, concerts, ice skating and even indoor equestrian events at AIS Arena.[5]
In 2015 and 2016, the venue received a $9.4 million upgrade, with the refurbishment involving better seating and windows. It forced the Canberra Capitals to find an alternative home venue for the end of the 2015–16 WNBL season.[5]
The arena was shut down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its poor fire safety. It was later used as a mass vaccination clinic.[6] The arena received $15 million worth of repair work and re-opened in 2024.[7][8]
For the 2024–25 WNBL season, the Capitals returned to the AIS Arena for the first time since the 2019–20 season.[9] The Canberra Brave of the Australian Ice Hockey League made their temporary move to the arena for eleven games during the 2025 season before completion of their new arena. An ice surface was laid atop the existing floor at AIS Arena.[10]
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