FAQs

The Horsham City Oval Multipurpose Stage is a part of the City Oval/Sawyer Park redevelopment project. This stage is being built as a centrepiece for large-scale outdoor events.

The City Oval/Sawyer Park precinct redevelopment project is one of seven included in the City to River Masterplan, and is the second to progress after the riverfront activation was completed in 2023.

It was a recommendation from the 12-person City Oval and Sawyer Park Redevelopment Community Reference Group.

More than 700 people made submissions about the overall City to River Masterplan during the 2019 engagement period with many ideas put forward about how the City Oval/Sawyer Park precinct could be updated to be more user friendly for everyone now and for generations to come.

Boosting the economy through increasing overnight visitation is also part of HRCC’s economic development strategy. 

The stage will be able to host up to 8,000 people and cater to large-scale music and entertainment shows.

The stage will also serve as a facility for local sports competitions and presentations. Accessible seating will be added for local sports events such as cricket or football matches.

Other large community-run events could also make use of the new facility. 

The Soundshell cannot now host modern music festivals because it has a limited capacity for patrons and performers and is more than 40 years old.

The Soundshell is not going anywhere and will continue to be maintained and improved to serve local events into the future.

Horsham has previously struggled to lure regional entertainment events that attract visitors and boost the economy because it lacks the modern infrastructure that other regional Victorian cities have. 

Touring shows bring their own stage props and removable LCD displays on their tours. The new City Oval venue will accommodate large screens on each side and across the back of the stage.

The $3 million project, which also includes the reconstruction of Hocking Street and nearby parking, is fully funded by the State and Federal Governments.

Council will initially target the scheduling of two large events in the first year of operation, increasing tourism numbers by up to 15,000 people which would create an estimated $5 million boost to the Wimmera economy.

It will also benefit local sports competitions on match days or presentations.

Planning of any major events at the stage would involve a lead time of up to a year and Council will work with City Oval user groups to minimise disruption. In terms of damage to the playing surface, appropriate measures will be taken to protect the surface and cricket pitch.