Kardinia Park’s new surface a cut above
Published: 12 March 2026Kardinia Park’s fresh turf has transformed the playing surface at Australia’s premier regional sports and entertainment venue, in time for the 2026 AFL season.
Transcript
[Vision] – Turf being removed
[Vision] – Soil being top dressed
[Vision] – New turf being laid
[Vision] – Drone and ground level shots of new turf
[Vision] – Geelong players kicking football on new turf.
With the stadium redevelopment now complete, the Kardinia Park Stadium playing surface has been reconstructed in time for a packed calendar of events in 2026, including the upcoming Australian football season.
A key feature of the project included new ‘ready to play’ hybrid turf, transforming the playing surface and providing greater flexibility for use of the stadium, with it being far more resilient and easier to maintain.
Geelong Cats will play their first game on the new playing surface on Saturday 14 March and will play an additional 9 home games at the stadium across the season.
There will also be AFLW, VFL and VFLW matches alongside a host of other community events throughout winter before another summer of cricket featuring the Melbourne Renegades.
Other ground enhancements include an upgraded irrigation system, trenches for AFL goal posts and cricket wickets and checking of the ground’s drainage system.
The resurfacing project was delivered by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust in partnership with Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and HG Turf Group.
Kardinia Park Stadium remains Australia's best regional sports and entertainment venue, hosting AFL, AFLW, cricket, football, major concerts and many other community activities and generating more than $190 million for the Victorian economy in the 2024/25 financial year.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the Kardinia Park website.