Melbourne and Sydney going head-to-head with new MCG skywalk and zipline
by Tom Anstey | 19 Feb 2016
Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia is creating an experience to “rival the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk” – a skywalk and zipline experience on top of the famous stadium.
Attempting to emulate the success of the Harbour Bridge climb, which has attracted more than 3 million people – including the likes of David Hasselhoff, Kit Harington, Usain Bolt and even Derek Zoolander – the AU$2.55m (US$1.8m, €1.6m, £1.3m) project will place tourists 70m (229.6ft) above the famous oval, where they can ride a 173m (567.6ft) zipline from the stadium’s scoreboard to a landing point on the opposite side.
The Victoria government is supporting the project, which it hopes to become a tourist lure, with funding of AU$650,000 (US$464,200, €416,900, £324,900). According to MCG, the project is still in the design phase and will take a year to become operational.
“We are very confident that these new products will add value to the experience of visiting the MCG and enhance its reputation as a premier tourist attraction,” said Melbourne Cricket Club CEO, Stephen Gough.
“This will cement the MCG as a one-stop shop for events, with an all-round, unique Melbourne experience in the one venue – a stadium tour, roof experience, meeting and function facilities, sports museum, and food and beverage services all on site.”
Australia’s Sport and Tourism minister, John Eren, added that the idea will offer “unprecedented” promotional opportunities for Melbourne.
"We're building this infrastructure so that all of those visitors from interstate and international can have a bird’s-eye view of Melbourne's CBD (central business district), and also the sporting precinct," he said.
"The tourism sector is worth AU$21bn (US$15bn, €13.5bn, £10.5bn) to Australia’s economy and we want to grow that sector.”
Melbourne Sydney Cricket Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG Skywalk Zipline Sydney Harbour Bridge BridgeClimb
Melbourne Cricket Ground has a capacity of 100,000 and is one of the world's most famous sporting venues Credit: Shutterstock.com
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
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by Liz Terry | 27 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
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Miraval The Red Sea has opened on Shura Island in Saudi Arabia as part of The Red Sea Project. The development is the first Miraval-branded property outside the US. This site is the fourth Miraval resort in the world – following US-based properties in Arizona, Texas and Massachusetts. Hyatt bought Miraval from previous owners Steve Case and investor KSL in 2017 and has also started putting its Life in Balance
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by Helen Andrews | 06 May 2026
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by Kath Hudson | 04 May 2026
A wellness club opens on London’s River Thames in June, offering luxury facilities and personalised wellness protocols focused on recovery and longevity. Sæl Spa at Fulham Pier – London’s new lifestyle destination on the River Thames – will be set across four floors and has been conceived as a “modern British sanctuary.” Facilities include a 15-metre heated rooftop infinity pool and sun terrace and a movement studio with integrated infrared
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by Helen Andrews | 30 Apr 2026
Submersive, an immersive art bathhouse concept by Corvas Brinkerhoff, co-founder of experiential art company Meow Wolf, will open in the Bouldin Creek neighbourhood in Austin, Texas, US. The bathhouse, which will open in Q3 of 2027, will combine ancient hydrotherapy traditions with art installations, with the help of international artists. The space will use the latest technology and neuroscience-informed sensory design to create transformative experiences. The flagship 20,000sq ft indoor-outdoor
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by Magali Robathan | 18 Apr 2026
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David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
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by Helen Andrews | 20 Apr 2026
The heritage-listed Department of Lands building in Sydney, Australia, has relaunched as a major cultural and events destination, as part of a mixed-use redevelopment of two iconic buildings known collectively as the Sandstone Precinct. Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group owns the property, as well as the building next door that was the former Department of Education building. The two-phase restoration project has seen Pontiac turn the Department of Education building into
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by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
World of Frozen has opened at Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris with new offerings across the entire park. The expansion almost doubles the size of Disneyland Paris, immersing guests in a life-size recreation of the Kingdom of Arendel. The World of Frozen features a Tangled -inspired attraction, 14 new dining locations and a large lake debuting a new night-time spectacular. It also features a daytime celebration, themed shopping, and
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The €200m (US$221.3 million, £169.7 million) Pical Resort, Valamar Collection has opened in Croatia with the country’s first ESPA spa. Valamar Riviera, a Croatian tourism company and hotel operator has revealed the 514-key property in Poreč, Istria. The development of the Pical Resort represents Valamar’s largest investment to date. The accommodation is split into the following options: the Pical Hotel, the luxury all-inclusive Pical Family Hotel, the exclusive Pical Suites
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by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has revealed plans to expand its presence in Egypt with the renovation and operation of two historic hotel properties and the brand’s first-ever luxury river cruise. In 2022, Mandarin Oriental announced it would open its first Egyptian property, Mandarin Oriental Shepheard in Cairo. The hotel is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is due to open in 2027. Ownership and development The river cruise, Old Cataract
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
Holistic design and architecture practice Mendil + Meyer, based in Arizona in the US, has introduced a new division called Lām Concepts to integrate and align wellness goals for projects before they reach the design stage. Ben Meyer, architect and co-founder of Mendil + Meyer, told Spa Business exclusively about the new division: “Lām comes from the word loam, meaning fertile ground – the place where conditions are right for
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by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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