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If you’ve been to a sold out game at Optus Stadium or a big concert at RAC Arena, you already know what happens the moment the final whistle blows or the last encore ends.
Sixty thousand people or fifteen thousand, depending on the venue — all decide they want to go home at exactly the same time.
The exits clog. The rideshare prices triple. The taxi rank stretches back further than you want to stand after three hours on your feet. And somewhere in the distance, the last train of the night is filling up fast.
We run taxis to and from both venues regularly at Perth Nova Taxi. This is what actually works.
Why Post-Event Transport in Perth Is Harder Than It Should Be
Perth has two world class entertainment venues sitting close to each other and not far from the CBD Optus Stadium in Burswood and RAC Arena in the Perth CBD on Wellington Street. Both are fantastic venues. Both create the same transport headache when major events end.
The problem isn’t that transport options don’t exist. Trains run from Burswood Station right next to Optus Stadium. Buses serve both venues. Taxis and rideshare pick up from designated zones. The problem is that every option gets overwhelmed simultaneously when 40,000 to 60,000 people try to use them all at once.
Rideshare apps respond to the demand spike with surge pricing sometimes 2.5x to 4x normal fares in the immediate aftermath of a big event. The taxi ranks at Optus Stadium can have queues that move slowly when volume is high. Trains from Burswood get packed to standing room only within minutes of the gates opening.
The locals who navigate this smoothly every time have one thing in common they plan the exit before they arrive.
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Optus Stadium :What Actually Happens After a Big Game
Optus Stadium holds up to 60,000 people for AFL finals and major events. On a Perth Scorchers BBL night, a big AFL game, or a stadium concert, the post event transport crunch is real.
The Burswood Station situation: The station is close and the train is fast to the city but so does everyone else know this. The platform fills quickly and multiple trains are needed to clear the crowd. If you’re heading to the northern suburbs or anywhere that requires a connection, the train gets you to the city quickly but doesn’t solve the last mile problem.
The rideshare problem: Within minutes of the final siren, rideshare surge pricing activates across the Burswood area. The app shows multipliers of 2x, 3x, sometimes higher on the biggest nights. If you were planning on a $X rideshare home to Scarborough, it might show $4X when you open the app outside Gate 1.
The taxi rank: The designated taxi pickup area at Optus Stadium is on the Burswood Road side. On normal event nights it moves reasonably well. On capacity nights finals, big concerts the wait can stretch to 30–45 minutes.
What works: Pre-booking a taxi for a specific pickup time, from a meeting point slightly away from the main exit crush, before the event ends.
RAC Arena — The Wellington Street Exit Rush
RAC Arena on Wellington Street holds around 15,000 people for concerts and events. It’s right in the CBD, which you’d think would make transport easier — and in some ways it does. But the post-concert rush on Wellington Street is its own particular chaos.
Thousands of people pouring onto Wellington Street simultaneously, all trying to hail rideshares, find taxis, or walk to their cars in surrounding streets. The intersection of Wellington and William can become genuinely congested in the 15–20 minutes after a major show ends.
Rideshare surge pricing activates here too. The CBD location means more driver supply than Burswood — but demand still outstrips supply in the first 30 minutes after a big show.
What works at RAC Arena: Same principle as Optus Stadium — pre-book before you arrive at the venue, coordinate a pickup from a specific agreed location a street or two away from the main exit, and leave 5–10 minutes before the show officially ends if you can.
The Pre-Book Strategy — How to Skip the Queue Every Time
The single most effective thing you can do to avoid post-event transport chaos at either venue is pre-book your taxi before you leave home.
Here’s exactly how to do it:
Step 1 — Know your finish time Most events at Optus Stadium and RAC Arena have predictable finish times. AFL games run roughly 2.5–3 hours. Concerts usually end within 15–20 minutes of the advertised finish time. Check the event details and estimate your departure time.
Step 2 — Book your taxi before you leave home Book your post event taxi when you book your pre event one or at the latest, when you’re heading to the venue. Don’t wait until the event ends to try to get a car.
Step 3 — Set a specific pickup time Rather than “as soon as possible” book for a specific time. If the game ends at 10:15pm, book your pickup for 10:25pm. This gives you time to exit, gives your driver time to position, and gets you in the car before the main surge of people hits the pickup zones.
Step 4 — Agree on a specific meeting point This is crucial. Post event pickup zones at both venues can be confusing and crowded. Agree with your driver on a specific named location before you arrive at the venue a street name, a landmark, a specific entrance. At Optus Stadium, the Burswood Road side is typically easier than the main Victoria Park Drive entrance for pickups. At RAC Arena, the Murray Street or Hay Street side streets are often clearer than Wellington Street itself.
Step 5 — Text your driver as you’re heading out Most good taxi services allow you to communicate directly with your driver. Text them when you’re 5 minutes from the pickup point so they can time their arrival.
Perth Nova Taxi for Stadium and Arena Events
We cover both Optus Stadium and RAC Arena events regularly at Nova Taxi. Here’s what makes pre-booking with us different from hoping for the best on rideshare:
Fixed fares — Your fare is locked in at booking. The surge pricing that hits when the event ends doesn’t affect your pre-booked fare. You know what you’re paying before you leave home.
Driver allocated in advance — When you pre-book, a specific driver is assigned to your pickup. They know where to be and when. There’s no algorithm deciding at 10:30pm whether a driver is available near Burswood.
Maxi taxi for groups — Going to the game with a group of 5, 7 or 10 people? One maxi taxi keeps everyone together and works out significantly cheaper per person than multiple rideshare vehicles. Our maxi taxis fit up to 10 passengers with luggage space.
No chaos at the exit — Your driver knows where to meet you. You walk to the agreed pickup point, get in the car, and drive away while the queues are still forming at the official taxi rank.
Getting Home From Specific Suburbs After an Event
Joondalup and North Metro The northern suburbs are particularly frustrating for post-event rideshare because driver supply doesn’t reach the outer northern areas reliably late at night. Pre-booking a taxi from Joondalup for stadium events is strongly recommended. The run from Optus Stadium to Joondalup takes around 35–40 minutes on a clear late-night run.
Fremantle and South Metro Fremantle residents heading to Optus Stadium or RAC Arena events face a similar situation on the way home. The run from Burswood to Fremantle takes around 25–30 minutes but demand spikes push rideshare prices up significantly. Pre-booking a taxi from Fremantle eliminates the price uncertainty.
Rockingham and Southern Suburbs The southern suburbs are the longest runs post-event and also the ones where rideshare supply is lowest. A pre-booked fixed-fare taxi from Optus Stadium to Rockingham is the most reliable option for southern suburbs residents attending major events.
Scarborough and Coastal Suburbs The coastal strip from Scarborough to Cottesloe generates consistent demand after Optus Stadium events. Taxi from Scarborough to the stadium and back is a regular run for us — the fixed fare is significantly lower than surge-priced rideshare on a big event night.
Ellenbrook and Eastern Suburbs Eastern suburbs residents face the double challenge of distance and limited late-night driver supply. Pre-booking a taxi from Ellenbrook for both directions of a stadium event is the most stress-free approach.
Group Travel to Perth Events — Why Maxi Taxi Makes Sense
If you’re going to Optus Stadium or RAC Arena with a group, a maxi taxi deserves serious consideration.
The economics are straightforward. A group of 8 people taking rideshare in two separate vehicles might pay $55 each way per vehicle — $110 total for the group per direction. A maxi taxi for the same 8 people costs around depending on origin suburb. Everyone’s together, nobody gets left behind waiting for a second vehicle, and the total cost is lower.
The logistics are also simpler. One pickup address, one driver, one dropoff. No coordinating multiple vehicles. No half the group leaving early because one rideshare arrived before the other.
For work groups, sports teams, birthday celebrations or just a big group of mates maxi taxi to and from Perth events is worth calculating.
Book maxi taxi for Perth events at Perth Nova Taxi or call us on 1300 081 911 our 24/7 booking line to get a group quote.
The 15-Minute Rule
Here’s a practical tip from running taxis around Perth event venues for years.
If you leave your seat 10–15 minutes before the official end of an event — before the final whistle, before the last song — your transport experience improves dramatically. You beat the initial surge of thousands of people to the exits. Your driver can position at the pickup point without fighting traffic. And you’re in the car and moving while most of the crowd is still making their way out.
Yes, you miss the last few minutes of the event. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends on how much you value a stress-free exit. For school nights with early starts the next morning, or when you have outer suburb connections to make, leaving a few minutes early can save 45 minutes of standing in queues.
