Brumbies at GIO Stadium Canberra 2027: Free Game Day Buses, $10 Parking, Gates Open 6:30pm for the 12 February Opener (ACT)

The ACT Brumbies open their 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season at home at GIO Stadium Canberra on Friday 12 February, with gates open at 6:30pm and kick-off at 7:45pm, and the stadium says free game day buses run for Brumbies matches. Parking costs $10 a vehicle, or $5 for anyone who arrives at least 45 minutes before the start. Tickets are listed as on sale soon.

This guide uses the stadium’s own events page, public transport page, driving and parking page, conditions of entry and FAQs. The general rules on those pages apply to every event there, so they are a good guide for the Brumbies season while the match-specific details are still to come.

Which Brumbies games are listed at GIO Stadium in February 2027?

The stadium’s events page lists three Super Rugby Pacific games for February 2027. Each event page gives 6:30pm as the gates-open time and says tickets are on sale soon.

Date	Game	Round	Kick-off	Gates open
Friday 12 February 2027	ACT Brumbies v Waratahs	Round 1	7:45pm	6:30pm
Saturday 27 February 2027	ACT Brumbies v Highlanders	Round 3	7:35pm	6:30pm
Saturday 27 February 2027	ACT Brumbies v Fijian Drua	Round 4	7:35pm	6:30pm

The stadium’s pages list both the Highlanders game (round 3) and the Drua game (round 4) on 27 February at 7:35pm. Two games cannot be played in the same stadium at the same time, and the stadium has not explained the overlap as at 2 November 2026. Check the event page for the game you want before you book anything.

Are there free buses to Brumbies games?

Yes, according to the stadium. Its public transport page says free game day buses run for ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders matches, leaving from all major interchanges across Canberra and operated by CDC Canberra. The event pages add that a complimentary bus service will be available on match day in addition to parking.

• Buses drop off and pick up at the East Gate of the stadium.
• Return services leave from outside the East Gate about 20 minutes after the game ends.
• The stadium’s FAQ names Belconnen, Gungahlin, Civic, Woden and Tuggeranong as the interchanges served by event buses, and says to check the Transport Canberra website for routes and schedules for your event.
• The page links to timetables for the next match. The 2027 timetables are not on the page yet.

The same page says standalone NRLW games work differently: ticket holders ride regular Transport Canberra buses free instead of dedicated event buses. That arrangement is for NRLW matches only; the stadium lists the Brumbies under the free game day buses.

How much is parking at GIO Stadium on game day?

The driving and parking page says stadium parking is $10 a vehicle, with a $5 early bird discount for arriving at least 45 minutes before the start. For the 12 February game, with kick-off at 7:45pm, that means arriving by 7:00pm. For the 27 February games, with kick-off at 7:35pm, that means arriving by 6:50pm. The stadium’s FAQ describes the fee as typically payable in cash and gives $10 as an example, so check the payment method on the day.

Option	Details from the stadium
Stadium car parks	East and West sides, signposted on approach; $10 a vehicle, $5 if you arrive 45 minutes early; parking is limited, so arrive early
Canberra Institute of Technology	Additional parking may be available; enter via Purdie Street, Bruce; about a 10-minute walk to the stadium
University of Canberra	Additional parking may be available; enter via College Street, Bruce; about a 20-minute walk to the stadium
Accessible parking	Available first come, first served, according to the FAQ

The stadium asks drivers to park legally and not on nature strips, because parking officers will be out, and not to leave valuables in the car. It also publishes a parking map showing the entry points and car parks.

Where do taxis, rideshare and e-scooters go?

• Drop-off and pick-up: community drop-off points are on Leverrier Street and in front of the AIS Arena on the West side of the stadium. Vehicles enter from the northern end of Leverrier Street off Ginninderra Drive. Drop-off and pick-up on the East side is not possible because of the traffic arrangements.
• Taxis: may drop off on Battye Street, West side only. After the game, taxis are available on the West side only, at a rank about 75 metres from the Western gates.
• Rideshare: set the pick-up and drop-off to “AIS Arena” or “AIS Visitors Centre”, not “GIO Stadium”. The designated area is on Leverrier Street. Rideshare drivers are not allowed to use the taxi rank.
• E-scooters: park them in the Community Drop Off Zone on Leverrier Street, in front of the AIS Arena. The FAQ says they are not allowed inside the stadium.

Temporary traffic arrangements apply on Battye Street, Braybrooke Street and Masterman Street during major events. Access Canberra takes traffic and parking queries on 13 22 81, and the stadium says it posts parking updates on its Facebook page.

What can I bring into GIO Stadium?

The conditions of entry say bags can be inspected, patrons may be scanned with a portable electronic scanner, and anyone 14 or over can enter unaccompanied. Children under 14 must be with a responsible adult.

Allowed	Not allowed
Pre-packaged food such as sandwiches, fruit, biscuits and crisps for your own use	Alcohol, glass, and opened or part-filled drink containers
Unopened non-alcoholic drinks of 1 litre or less, not in glass or cans	Takeaway food from outside, such as McDonald’s or KFC
Empty refillable water bottles or thermoses up to 1 litre, on inspection	Flags over 1 metre by 1 metre; chairs and stools; tents and sun shelters
Umbrellas, not raised if they block anyone’s view	Aerosol sunscreen; drones; flares and fireworks; air horns and whistles

Tickets must come from Ticketek, the official agent, or entry can be refused. The stadium prefers digital tickets on a phone, and says printed tickets are also fine. It is a cash preferred venue with no ATMs on site, although all food, drink and merchandise outlets accept EFTPOS and tap and go.

What facilities does the stadium offer on game day?

• A multi-sensory room for guests with sensory sensitivities, run as part of the Brumbies Sensory Zone for Super Rugby games, on the first floor of the Meninga Grandstand. It needs an adult carer.
• Hearing loops in specific bays, including Bay 56 in the Meninga Grandstand and Bay 71 in the Gregan-Larkham Grandstand, and at the East and West ticketing boxes.
• Bay 6 on the Western side is the designated no-alcohol area.
• Baby change tables in the accessible toilets and first aid rooms on the East and West concourses; parental spaces in the East and West lounges.
• Fully trained service dogs are welcome.

The stadium also says events may be altered or cancelled because of severe weather, and that patrons with reserved seats must stay in their seat in wet weather.

What is still to come?

• Ticket sale dates and prices. The event pages say only that tickets are on sale soon.
• The free bus timetable for each 2027 game.
• Which date the stadium means for the Highlanders and Drua games, as covered above.

For the CommBank Matildas v Colombia game at the stadium on 28 November, see our guides to the free buses and parking and the bag rules and gates.

Sources

• GIO Stadium Canberra: ACT Brumbies v Waratahs (checked 2 November 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: ACT Brumbies v Highlanders (checked 2 November 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: ACT Brumbies v Drua (checked 2 November 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: Public Transport (checked 2 November 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: Driving and Parking (checked 2 November 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: Conditions of Entry (checked 2 November 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: FAQs (checked 2 November 2026)

Featured image: GIO Stadium Canberra (photo: DaHuzyBru / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with GIO Stadium Canberra, the ACT Brumbies, Ticketek, CDC Canberra or Transport Canberra. Dates, times, prices and travel advice can change; check the official pages above before you travel.