Allianz Stadium installs full-bowl L-Acoustics Kara IIi system for game-day sound
Background and context
Allianz Stadium in Sydney, a 42,500-seat venue that opened in 2022, has become a key site for major sport and live entertainment in New South Wales. The venue hosts home fixtures for the Sydney Roosters (NRL), NSW Waratahs (Super Rugby) and Sydney FC (A-League), as well as international matches and large summer concerts.
With more than 50 sports events a year and additional concerts, the stadium requires an audio system capable of handling very different demands: clear announcements and interviews, match presentation, and high-impact audio for pyrotechnics and entertainment segments.
Following several high-profile events using temporary concert systems, venue operator Venues NSW moved ahead with a permanent sound installation designed to offer full-bowl coverage tailored to the stadium’s acoustics.
Key announcement
Venues NSW has commissioned a permanent L-Acoustics Kara IIi loudspeaker system for Allianz Stadium, installed by JPJ Audio. The project marks a significant upgrade from the previous configuration just three years after the stadium opened.
JPJ Audio, already responsible for operating audio at several New South Wales stadiums, won the tender to design and integrate the system. The company had previously deployed temporary L-Acoustics K1, K2 and Kara systems for both sports and concerts at the venue, which informed the permanent design.
The main bowl system is built around 232 Kara IIi line array elements and 52 SB18i subwoofers, divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant uses five array types, with different box counts and splay angles to follow the varying seating geometry and roof height. Additional A10i loudspeakers provide coverage around the two large video screens.
All loudspeakers are flown beneath the roof gantry on custom metalwork designed to retrofit the existing structure. A docking mechanism allows arrays to be lowered for servicing without tools at height.
Amplification is handled by 78 LA4X amplified controllers housed in four amplifier rooms on level four, with redundancy provided by hot spares. Signal distribution uses AES67 from a Q-SYS core, with six LC16D network audio converters feeding the amplifiers via AES/EBU. The system rides on the stadium’s Cisco-based ICN network, with Q-SYS supplying control and monitoring and L-Acoustics Network Manager available for detailed system supervision.
Industry impact
The main technical challenge at Allianz Stadium is its long reverberation time, reported at around five seconds. To maintain intelligibility, JPJ Audio and the L-Acoustics applications team used the Soundvision prediction platform to model coverage, refine array angles and determine subwoofer placement before installation.
The design focuses on tightly controlled, localised coverage to minimise reflections in the bowl. Subwoofers are positioned behind the main arrays, using low-frequency steering to limit energy build-up in reflective areas.
Installation logistics were also notable. With the pitch remaining in use and no access for cranes or boom lifts, all arrays were installed using rope access from the roof and multiple motors in a load-transfer process. JPJ Audio pre-assembled, wired and phase-checked each array at its warehouse, reducing on-site deployment of the loudspeaker hangs to five days.
For day-to-day operation, live impedance monitoring checks loudspeaker status approximately every minute, giving operators continual feedback on system health during events.
Why this matters
For venue operators and event producers, the Allianz Stadium project highlights several trends in large-scale sports audio: concert-grade systems being adopted as permanent infrastructure, tighter integration with IP-based control networks, and greater emphasis on predictive design to handle challenging acoustics.
The installation also reflects how match-day presentation has evolved. Modern sports events increasingly combine broadcast-style presentation, lighting and pyrotechnics with live entertainment. That mix requires systems that can deliver both high impact and reliable speech clarity across all seating tiers.
The system was commissioned in time for an A-League fixture on 18 January 2026, following an accelerated programme during a limited works window. Early feedback from tenant clubs and independent reviewers indicates that the stadium now meets its brief for improved intelligibility and increased energy across the bowl.
Further technical details on the Kara IIi and related components are available from L-Acoustics’ official product pages at https://www.l-acoustics.com/.
