Sydney Entertainment Centre

Sydney Entertainment Centre

Location	Haymarket, Sydney
Coordinates	33°52′42″S 151°12′10″E
Owner	Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
Operator	Managed and Operated by DHCE Pty Limited
Capacity	Total: 13,250 Basketball: 10,517
Opened	1 May 1983
Tenants
Sydney Kings (NBL) (1990–2008, 2010–) Sydney Flames (WNBL)

The Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC) is a multi-purpose venue, located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in May 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished to make way for a new railway. The centre is currently owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administers the neighbouring Darling Harbour area, and managed under a lease. It is one of Sydney's larger concert venues, licenced to accommodate over 13,000 people as a conventional theatre or 8,000 as a theatre-in-the-round. The centre's only regular tenant is the Sydney Kings who play in the National Basketball League. The SEC, known as the "Kingdome" during Kings home games has a capacity of 10,517 for basketball.

It is averaging an attendance of 1 million people each year and hosts concerts, family shows, sporting events and corporate events.

Notable events

Elton John has played numerous concerts there over the years, including eight dates in 1986 with an orchestra. The latter shows were some of the last he performed prior to throat surgery.

In 1986, Dire Straits finished their 1985-1986 world tour by playing 21 consecutive shows at the venue.

Genesis played 9 dates at the 1986 leg of the Invisible Touch Tour (25–27 November and 15–20 December). Some of the songs were performed with an Australian string section. Archives 2 – disc 2 holds a version of "Your Own Special Way" recorded at SEC.

David Bowie recorded his live album, Glass Spider Live, during his performances on 7 and 9 November 1987.

American rock band Pearl Jam played two nights in 1995 (10-11 March) during the Vitalogy Tour, three nights (9, 11, 12 March 1998) during the Yield Tour and another three nights (11, 13, 14 February 2003) at the venue during the Riot Act Tour.

Kylie Minogue has played 25 concerts there, she finished her On A Night Like This Tour, after playing 11 nights there & kicked off her Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour in November 2006.

Pop rock superstar P!nk performed (a then record-breaking) seven shows there during her 2007 I'm Not Dead Tour. In 2009, with her Funhouse Tour, in support of the number one album, she played a record 15 shows. She recorded her current live DVD at the SEC. P!nk has also announced she will play 8 shows at the SEC in the summer of 2013 on her The Truth About Love Tour

It also hosts international circuses and shows, such as Disney on Ice & Hugh Jackman's The Boy from Oz.

It is used annually for The Schools Spectactular, which features over 3,000 young performers from across NSW as well as the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.

It is the place where the IBO Cruiser-weight title boxing match between Antonio Tarver and Danny Green took place on 20 July 2011.

Asian pop legend, 'God of Songs' Jacky Cheung on 1 October 2011, as part of his Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour.

Sporting events

As a sporting venue, the SEC is best known as the home arena for the Sydney Kings basketball team, but other sports such as boxing, tennis and indoor motor-cross have also been held there. The venue hosted the 1991 World Netball Championships

In the 2000 Summer Olympics, the SEC was the venue for indoor volleyball final.

External links

• Sydney Entertainment Centre
• Sydney Entertainment Centre at Austadiums