HBF Stadium

Challenge Stadium recently hosted the Darts Masters. Let me tell you this is no Golf Masters. Swap out pleated pants and oxford shirts for… mullets, tats and nuns. Say what… oh. yeah. costumes galore.
Huge props to the Where’s Waldo, Storm Troopers and «Nuns». What an absolute riot. Of all the ‘sport events’ I’ve attended here in Perth, this crowd was by far the best. Pssh… you think Australians love AFL — try darts. Dancing, screaming, signs… all night long. I had a blast and anyone I talk with felt the exact same way.
But, I gots to get tough with Challenge Stadium. Your goal is to throw a good time and bring on the bevies. With only 200 tickets remaining, you were filled to the gills and your lack of hospitality showed. We got there at 7 p.m. and already you ran out of Jack. And, one beer option??? Throw in the $ 10 for not even a pint and my option was Stella. Vom. Where’s the Emu when you need it?
I didn’t see any security guards… or should I say they weren’t manning the nosebleed section when Mr. Disgusting Von Trashystein decided to… I can’t believe I’m writing this… snot rocket off the balcony. Maybe he drank all the Jack as he is definitely a jack of some kind.
Looking forward to Perth Arena hosting Darts next year. It’s a shame as I liked the intimate venue of Challenge, but they may be better suited to host this growing (and drinking) crowd.

This is a review for the toddler gymnastics class offered at challenge stadium. I enrolled my 22 month old daughter and we had the first lesson today. I was a bit nervous as it is run in a proper gymnastics training hall and I was worried that it might be too intense/​competitive for her young age, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The two instructors were very friendly and playful with the children, and the other parents were nice too. They set up an obstacle course around the gym that incorporates some of the gymnastics apparatuses, but is mostly just about climbing, jumping, balancing, bouncing, hanging etc. at their own pace. My daughter really enjoyed it and can’t wait to go back next week.
You have to pay for an entire term of classes up front so if you are unsure your child would enjoy it I would recommend trying Toddler Gym with Rosemary at Stirling Leisure Center, Scarborough first. It is a pay as you go class that has a couple of gymnastic elements. If your kid can’t get enough of the rings, bar and balance beam at Scarborough there’s a pretty good chance they’ll enjoy the class at Challenge Stadium. Also, you can observe the class from the coffee shop viewing window if you want to see it before you commit.

In addition to its’ use for swimming and a variety of other sports, Challenge Stadium is also one of Perth’s larger concert venues. I write for a music publication and so have seen everything from Marilyn Manson to The Veronicas to a hilariously underattended car crash of a show by the Village People here. It’s a much better room to get sound in than the larger Burswood Dome and the facilities tend to be pretty good. Last time I was here, their house wine was from fantastic Margaret River winery Clairault, which we of course got ourselves nicely sozzled on. Parking tends to be charged at an excessively inflated price for concerts, which seems unfair as there is nowhere else to park in the area.
If you’re booking tickets for this place, the sound on the sides is pretty decent but the lack of repeater speakers means the worst seats in the house are those at the back end of the hall. General Admission tickets are usually advisable, as it’s the kind of venue where the best experience is to be had standing directly in front of the stage, or if you’re an audiophile, in front of the sound desk.

If you’re swimming here, be sure to take note of the signs. There are quite a few pools for various purposes and it can get confusing. I dove into a very quiet outdoor pool on my first visit not realising it was closed for chlorination. There was none in the pool! Hello meningitis! I think for a casual punter, this place can be a little overwhelming. Perhaps if you take your sports seriously, you’ll get a kick from all the energy here, but I just found it sapped me of mine. For concerts, the stadium is pretty great: a decent size space with good acoustics and good aspects from most positions.

Challenge has always been a music venue for me. From Backstreet Boys, Craig David, and most recently Stevie Nicks, I’ve never gone there without expecting to hear some good music (minus the BS Boys who were horrendous). Albeit the venue is in desperate need of a revamp, especially now that the Wildcats have moved to the State Basketball Centre, it’s a bit of a Western Suburb landmark like the beloved Lords.
Fingers crossed someone from the local council reads my review :)

Challenge Stadium is a great place for a swim, although I have not been there for swimming myself. I have visited Challenge Stadium for swimming carnivals, and it is a fantastic place.
Many years ago, Beatty Park was used by schools to host their swimming carnivals at, but now Challenge Stadium seems to be used by so many schools as the pools are indoors, so no matter what the weather, the carnival can go on, and there is no need to worry about sunburn!
There is also a great café there which offers a large variety of food and drink. Challenge Stadium also offers vending machines outside of the doors which give you access to the pool area.
Challenge Stadium offers many parking bays, and there are other facilities on site, such as gymnastics classes, basketball stadium, and an outdoor athletics area.