Shaded Seats at People First Stadium

People First Stadium is one of the Gold Coast’s major sporting and concert venues. Located in Carrara, it is home to the Gold Coast Suns AFL and AFLW teams and hosts cricket, concerts, and major events. Queensland’s subtropical climate brings strong sun and humidity, so the position of the sun is an important factor for afternoon matches and twilight starts. Fans can use this guide along with the stadium seating map to find the best shaded seats at People First Stadium.

Where Are the Seats in the Shade and Sun at People First Stadium?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at People First Stadium are:

• West Sideline: Shaded by mid-afternoon and in the evening
• Under Cover: Upper-level sections on all sides are covered and shaded

And the seats in the sun at People First Stadium are mainly:

• East Sideline: Sunny for much of the day
• Field-level: Sun-soaked except on the west sideline

Shade shifts with season, cloud cover and kickoff time. If you’re sun-sensitive, prioritize rows tucked under the roof or overhang or on the west side for afternoon matches.

People First Stadium Orientation to the Sun

People First Stadium is oriented northeast-to-southwest. In Queensland summers, the sun arcs across the northern sky: it reaches its high point between 11 a.m. and noon, then dips behind the west side of the stadium and sets toward the southwest. That’s why the west sideline shades earliest, while the east sideline tends to stay sunny until late in the day.

The graphic below shows the approximate hour-by-hour position of the sun throughout the day on January 1st.

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Seats in the Sun and Shade at Afternoon People First Stadium Matches

People First Stadium is an oval with a series of canopy roofs that cover most stands, except on the north side near the video board. That area is the only single-tier section; the rest of the ground is two-tiered, with 100-level sections on the lower tier and 200-level sections on the upper tier. On the west side of the stadium, suites and clubs comprise the upper tier.

AFL matches typically kick off in the mid-afternoon or evening. Sometimes AFL games and other events start earlier in the day too. Seats under cover are best for early-arvo shade. If you don’t mind sitting away from the pitch, most rows in the 200 level are shaded, and those toward the back stay shaded for the longest.

By 1 p.m., the sun shifts to the west and sits behind the suites and luxury club seats on the west side of the stadium. At this hour, sections 129-140 are shaded as the suites create a wall that casts a shadow over the lower tier. On the opposite side of the pitch, the upper half of 201-216 is under cover and still shaded, but the front half of those sections is sun-exposed.

The sunniest seats are on the lower tier in sections 101-116, which face the afternoon sun and sit beyond the reach of the canopy. Sections 144-151 are also sun-drenched as there is no roof on the north side of the stadium and the angle of the sun doesn’t allow any other part of the stadium to cast a shadow over seats in these sections.

By the middle of the afternoon, seats on the west side of the stadium (right) are shaded while those on the east side (left) are sunny.
Credit: stephenk1977 (CC BY 2.0)

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Evening People First Stadium Matches

By early evening, the west and south sides of the stadium are in the shade. Sections 117-141, 217-228 and the suites and luxury club seats on the west side are where shade seekers should focus their search. Sections 101-116 stay sunny until the shade line crosses the pitch. Upper-level sections 201-216 stay sunny for the longest. Except for the very last rows, seats in this part of the stadium sit in the sun’s path until sunset.

Ready to get your People First Stadium tickets?

Use the individual game links or click or tap here to see an upcoming list of events at People First Stadium.