Council has 19 public ovals across Darwin, available to use for a range of sports, community events and informal physical activity.

Booking an Oval

Casual Bookings

All special events and casual bookings must be applied for, at least 14 days ahead of the event.

This applies to sporting clubs even if they have a Seasonal Oval Allocation and a home ground, and includes but is not limited to sign-on days, fundraisers, training clinics, etc.

It also applies to all other organised events on City of Darwin ovals.

To Apply
Please contact Customer Services on 8930 0300 or complete the Event Application/Permit

Seasonal and Pre-Season Oval Allocations

Dry Season April – September
Wet Season October – March
Pre-Season the 6 weeks before the start of each season

To Apply
The Seasonal Oval Allocation request process will commence approx. 6 weeks ahead of each season.  An email will be sent to all Peak Sporting Bodies (PSBs) and club contacts from the previous two seasons.  Please contact your PSB in the first instance if you do not receive this email.

Allocation requests must be submitted through your PSB, NOT sent directly to City of Darwin unless you are not part of a PSB. 

Pre-season Oval Allocations can be submitted at any time, but will be processed once all seasonal allocations have been finalised.  Priority will be given to applicants that are in-season, and local competition takes precedence over training or other activities or events.

1. Read the Seasonal Oval Allocation Guide and the Conditions of Seasonal Oval Allocation thoroughly.
2. Complete the Oval Allocation Application Form and submit as per the Seasonal Application Process flowchart in the Seasonal Oval Allocation Guide.

Oval Fees & Charges

Hire fees apply to use an oval for any organised activity.  Please refer to the Sporting Ovals section of the 2024-25 Fees and Charges (p101-103).

Sports Field Lights

Sport Field Lights are available at Bagot Oval, Gardens Oval One, Malak Oval and Nightcliff Oval.

You are required to have an oval allocation (seasonal or casual) before access to the Sports Field Lights will be approved. There are additional fees to use the lights, depending on the lux level. These fees can be found in the Fees and Charges (see link above).

Hours of operation for Sports Field Lights

Advertising at Ovals

City of Darwin will assess applications for advertising signage and club branding at ovals in the following locations only:
- on oval boundary fences at sporting ovals that also have a perimeter fence around the facility (signs must face the playing surface)
- on permanent scoreboards, facing the playing surface
- on oval clubhouses and/or pavilions, where stakeholders have a current tenancy agreement in place with City of Darwin
     exterior - club branding or painting club colours only, except Gardens Oval
     internal - advertising signage, club branding or painting club colours

To ensure sporting facilities keep a community aesthetic, perimeter fence signage is not permitted at City of Darwin sporting ovals.

Please read the Advertising Signage At Oval Guideline for full details.  This guideline does not refer to naming rights of sporting facilities, or signage types governed by the requirements detailed in the Outdoor Advertising Signs Code.