Populous awarded design of Rach Chiec National Sports Complex’s 70,000-seat stadium and 18,000-seat arena

The project progress was shared with the Queensland Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates, who visited Populous’ Asia Pacific head office in Brisbane today (23 September 2026), where she was given an early look at the design concepts.

Vietnamese developer Sun Group has appointed Populous to design the 70,000-seat National Stadium and 18,000-seat Arena at the heart of the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex, on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. The appointment builds on Populous’ earlier role in masterplanning the near-200 hectare site, and follows a groundbreaking ceremony held earlier this year.  

Led by Senior Principal and APAC Director Andrew Tulen from the firm’s Singapore studio, working alongside architects and designers in Brisbane and across Populous’ Southeast Asia studios, the design team is now progressing concepts that will place Vietnam firmly on the global sporting and entertainment map. 

Mr Tulen said the venues will be world-class, built not just for one-off events but as everyday community assets that give back to the people of Ho Chi Minh City 365 days a year. 

The Rach Chiec Stadium will be the first athletic stadium of its size in Southeast Asia to feature a fully retractable, acoustically rated roof that will shield nearby residential communities from noise during major concerts and events while giving organizers full control over conditions inside the bowl.  

The roof and building form take their inspiration from the Nipa Palms that line the waterways surrounding the site, a motif Mr Tulen and the design team studied closely for the way the plants protect riverbanks while creating space beneath their canopy for community and trade. That story of resilience, protection and openness has become a guiding design principle for the Stadium’s facade, translating into an open-concourse design that shelters spectators from the elements while keeping the venue connected to the life of the city around it.  

Alongside the Stadium and Arena, the wider masterplan integrates an aquatic centre, multi-purpose halls, training facilities and sports medicine services around a central park and riverscape. This reflects a shift away from standalone stadiums toward precincts that function as genuine community catalysts.  

Commenting on the award of the design, Minster Bates said: “Populous is a great example of Queensland expertise competing and winning on the world stage, and this appointment is a clear indication of its status as one of Australia’s most significant exporters of design services”. 

For Vietnam, the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex represents an opportunity to compete for major international sporting and entertainment events. The masterplan was designed to accommodate around 90% of Olympic sports, with the scale, zoning and security considerations needed to host events of the caliber of the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup competitions. The project also lays the groundwork for Vietnam’s longer-term ambitions to host an Olympic & Paralympic Games.  

The design has been developed with future technological innovation very much in mind, recognizing the rapid pace of change in venue operations, fan engagement and event delivery. This includes flexible seating configurations, advanced zone-based air-conditioning, and the digital and broadcast infrastructure that modern events now demand.  

The combination of future-ready technology and world-class capacity is intended to ensure the Stadium and Arena remain key venues in the global sport and entertainment calendar.  

Founded in 2007, Sun Group is one of Vietnam’s leading private economic groups, pioneering integrated ecosystems across tourism, entertainment, hospitality, real estate, infrastructure and aviation. Guided by the mission of “enhancing beauty to the lands”, Sun Group has played a transformative role in shaping iconic destinations across Vietnam. 

Its portfolio includes internationally recognized tourism and hospitality developments, including the Sun World entertainment ecosystem. In aviation, Sun Group is expanding through strategic investments in airport infrastructure and Sun PhuQuoc Airways, built around a hub-and-spoke model with Phu Quoc as its central hub. Sun Group is also undertaking key infrastructure projects supporting APEC 2027 in Phu Quoc. Through its integrated ecosystem approach, Sun Group continues to contribute to Vietnam’s long-term socio-economic development and global connectivity.