Fed Square will not publicly screen FIFA World Cup matches this year, blaming poor behaviour by attendees in past years.
The venue in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD served as a live site during the Women’s World Cup in 2023, with thousands turning up to watch Matildas games on the big screen.
But the site was axed after a wild semifinal match attended by an estimated 12,000 fans, during which dozens of flares were lit.
Fans lit flares after an equalising goal from Sam Kerr in 2023, filling the square with smoke. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting )
Melbourne Arts Precinct chief executive Katrina Sedgwick told ABC Melbourne radio the conduct of a small minority of fans had triggered the decision.
“This issue is really with a very small group of fans who, unfortunately, behave in a way that is just antisocial and frankly, dangerous,” Ms Sedgwick said.
“The challenge is when you have a crowded square with lots and lots of people and people are smuggling in flares … it’s very difficult to get to those people, it’s difficult to control them.”
Ms Sedgwick said attendees were injured during previous World Cup screenings due to the use of flares.
“A particular issue was: people were not only lighting flares, [but] they were throwing them,” she said.
“I think on the final night of the last Socceroos game we screened, we counted over 100 flares and fireworks that had been let off in the square.”
Ms Sedgwick said the venue was not equipped to search and screen fans in the same way a dedicated sports stadium would be.
Fed Square, which sits opposite Flinders Street Station and has multiple entry points, had been dogged by safety concerns during major gatherings.
A planned free concert by band Amyl and the Sniffers at Fed Square was cancelled at the last minute in December after overeager punters started breaking through fences set up to prevent crowd crushes.
Fed Square was forced to cancel a concert in December due to overcrowding and rowdy behaviour. (ABC News: Peter Healy)
Football fan association left disappointed by decision
Chair of the Football Supporters Association of Australia Patrick Clancy says the decision is a huge blow to fans.
“It’s tremendously disappointing because the pictures of Fed Square during the past Women’s World Cup and the past Men’s World Cup, they’ve gone around the world, they are iconic pictures,” he said.
“It’s, for the most part, a highly passionate and well-behaved crowd, and we were desperate to see that again.”
Fed Square was filled to capacity for World Cup games in 2023. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting )
Mr Clancy said football fans in Melbourne had been unfairly painted in a bad light due to the actions of a few.
“I think some of the commentary is a bit overblown, not saying there haven’t been some issues,” he said.
“There are people who have spoken of riots … it’s nothing like that. We shouldn’t be shutting down the fun for everyone because of a few bad eggs.”
Mr Clancy said football fans in other cities and towns around Australia would get the chance to celebrate en masse, and hoped the government would find an alternative for Melbourne fans.