Matildas v Colombia in Canberra 2026: What You Cannot Bring Into GIO Stadium, Water Bottles Up to 1 Litre Allowed, Bags Searched (ACT)

Bags are allowed at CommBank Matildas v Colombia at GIO Stadium Canberra on Saturday 28 November 2026, but every bag is searched on entry, and alcohol, glass, chairs, instruments and flags over 1m x 1m are not allowed in. Water bottles and thermoses up to 1 litre are the exception to the ban on opened drink containers.

The list below comes from the stadium’s match page, its conditions of entry and its FAQs, all read on Saturday 31 October 2026. How to reach the stadium has its own guide: free buses and parking for the Matildas match.

What is not allowed into GIO Stadium?

The match page lists these items as not permitted, and says the stadium’s existing conditions of entry apply:

Category	Not permitted
Drugs and alcohol	Illicit drugs; alcoholic beverages, which cannot be brought in or taken out
Containers	Glass or breakable containers, including opened or partly filled drink containers (thermoses and water bottles up to 1L excepted)
Weapons and hazards	Knives, bladed weapons and firearms, including toy or replica versions; fireworks, flares, explosive or laser devices; spray cans and compressed air canisters
Devices	Unauthorised drones; recording devices used for commercial purposes
Noise	Musical instruments, whistles and air horns, unless the stadium has approved them beforehand
Wheels	Skateboards, scooters, roller blades, tricycles and bicycles
Flags and signs	Flags over 1m x 1m; flags, banners, emblems or signs of non-competing nations; commercial, political, religious or offensive clothing, banners, logos or signage
Large items	Any large article that cannot go under a seat; chairs and stools; tents, sun shelters and beach tents
Other	Items or goods for sale; animals other than guiding, companion or hearing animals, with the animal’s registration provided

The conditions of entry add that cloakroom facilities are not available for any of these items, so anything refused at the gate has nowhere to be left. They also allow management to ban other items from time to time.

Can I bring a bag?

Yes. The match page says bags are permitted, but recommends packing light and leaving non-essential items at home. Security will conduct bag checks at all entry points, and the stadium asks people to take everything out of their pockets and to avoid bags where possible to reduce delays. Management can also search people with a portable electronic scanner. A bag that cannot be placed under a seat counts as a large article and is not allowed.

What food and drink can I bring?

The conditions of entry allow pre-packaged food for individual consumption, such as sandwiches, fruit, biscuits and crisps. They also allow unopened, non-alcoholic drinks of 1 litre or less for one person, excluding glass, cans and breakable containers, and empty refillable water bottles or thermoses up to 1 litre, which are checked on entry. Water stations are available at the venue.

• Not allowed: external commercial food and drink such as McDonald’s or KFC.
• Not allowed: aerosol sunscreen. The conditions say people should take care with sun protection and hydration, but aerosol sunscreen is not permitted.
• Alcohol: Bay 6 on the western side is a designated no-alcohol area.

Food, drink and merchandise are sold inside the stadium, with extra food, drink and toilet facilities on the forecourt outside the main bowl. The FAQ says the venue is cash preferred, has no ATMs on site, and that all food, beverage and merchandise outlets accept EFTPOS and tap and go payments.

What are the rules on flags?

Flags over 1m x 1m are not permitted, and neither are flags, banners, emblems or signs of non-competing nations. The conditions of entry also ban commercial, political, religious or offensive clothing, banners, logos and signage. The stadium’s pages do not give a size limit for smaller flags or say who decides on a borderline case, so if you are unsure, leave it at home or ask staff at the gate.

Where should I buy tickets, and can children go in?

Ticketek is the official agent for all ticketed events at GIO Stadium, and the conditions of entry warn that tickets bought from other providers may not be valid and could lead to refused entry. Patrons may be asked to verify their identity against their ticket. The match page asks people to download the Ticketek app and add mobile tickets to their phone’s digital wallet before arriving, with the phone fully charged and the brightness turned up.

Patrons aged 14 and over can enter unaccompanied. Patrons under 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult who keeps effective supervision for the whole time at the venue. Selling tickets or goods inside the venue without authorisation is not allowed.

What happens in wet or severe weather?

The FAQ says events may be cancelled or altered in extreme weather, and that refund policies depend on the event promoter’s terms. It also says patrons with reserved seating must stay in their designated seat in wet weather. Umbrellas are allowed, but should not be put up if they block another patron’s view of the field. Seats retract automatically, so check your seat before you sit down.

What help is there for families and accessibility needs?

The FAQ lists accessible car parking, unisex accessible toilets, passenger lifts to all levels, wheelchair-height water fountains, and dedicated wheelchair and carer seating. Hearing loops are installed in specific bays, for example Bay 56 in the Meninga Grandstand and Bay 71 in the Gregan-Larkham Grandstand, with the best signal in the top third of each bay, and at the East and West ticketing boxes. Fully trained service dogs are welcome and can sit under the handler’s seat, and a carer seat may be available for extra space.

Baby change tables are in the unisex accessible toilets in both the East and West concourse inner bowls and on the ground floor of the Meninga Grandstand. Parents and carers can nurse anywhere they feel comfortable, and breast pumps are permitted. First aid rooms on the East and West concourses can be used for privacy, and so can parental spaces in the East and West lounges, although the FAQ warns these may be in use for private functions and have no view of the field. First aid stations are on both concourses.

Smoking, behaviour and what is not yet confirmed

Smoking and vaping are allowed only in designated areas around the forecourt perimeter, not in the seated, thoroughfare, concourse and enclosed areas, and people may not watch the event while smoking. Management can refuse entry to anyone who is intoxicated or disorderly, or who tries to bring in a prohibited item. The match page asks anyone who notices anti-social or discriminatory behaviour to text the stadium’s “Assist” number shown on the match page.

The stadium has not published the time the gates open for this match, and none of its pages say whether you can leave and re-enter. The conditions of entry say they may be changed for specific events, with any alterations displayed at each point of entry, so check the match page again in the week of the game.

Sources

• GIO Stadium Canberra: CommBank Matildas v Colombia (checked 31 October 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: Conditions of Entry (checked 31 October 2026)
• GIO Stadium Canberra: FAQs (checked 31 October 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, Football Australia or Ticketek. Rules can change; check the official pages above before you travel.