Whether it’s Big Bash cricket, A-League football, UCI World Tour cycling, sailing, baseball, golf, Ironman triathlons, and more – we have a high quality and wide-ranging sporting calendar.
In the short term, there’s plenty to look forward to.
The colour and thrills of international cricket will take over GMHBA Stadium for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Geelong Korea is back here for the Australian Baseball League season from November.
And for the first time in three years, The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race will hit the streets in January.
Yesterday, we were delighted to welcome the Men’s T20 World Cup trophy to Geelong.
It has been on a very interesting journey – travelling more than 100,000km over about 100 days – to arrive here.
But here it is, and I’m told here in Geelong it will stay until it is raised in victory at the final next month.
Geelong is really proud to be involved in the biggest sporting event in Australia this year.
As the only regional city hosting matches, we’re showcasing to both the country, and the world, our ability to host premier sporting events.
It’s an honour that we get to kick off the tournament with a double header this Sunday.
We know from previous matches at GMHBA Stadium that getting Sri Lanka here is a great coup, as they have a strong and passionate supporter base already in Victoria.
We’re also pleased to welcome players, support staff and fans from Namibia, United Arab Emirates and Netherlands to the region.
On the back of a Cats flag and the huge turnout to White Night last Saturday, Geelong is a very exciting place to be right now.
The latest tourism data, to the end of June this year, shows we’ve rebounded from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitor spending has returned to the pre-pandemic highs, with our daytrip and overnight stay numbers soaring.
Our own data, through Geelong Major Events, shows that about 60 per cent of attendees of our existing major events calendar are from outside Greater Geelong.
The T20 World Cup will keep that momentum going through October.
I encourage you to get down to the stadium and to check out some of the action.
With even better facilities for cricket included in the final stage of the redevelopment of GMHBA Stadium, we’re hoping we can feature even more on Cricket Australia’s calendar in coming years.
We’ve already proven that we have the facilities – backed by the population and pulling power – to continue to provide a great atmosphere and spectacle for all sporting codes.
Council is really excited by the potential for the 2026 Commonwealth Games to take our offering to the next level.
It’s amazing think we’ll be able to watch our own sporting stars right here in regional Victoria at the next Commonwealth Games.
But the opportunities the hosting of the Games will create for all members of the community is the most exciting prospect.
