AIS Arena reopening date locked in. See the first photos from inside the $15m upgrade

Federal government officials will cut the ribbon to reopen the multi-purpose arena after a $15 million upgrade - the biggest refurbishment in the 43-year-old venue's history.

The completion of the major overhaul comes almost exactly four years to the day since The Canberra Times revealed the Australian Sports Commission had closed the arena "indefinitely" in 2020 because of safety concerns.

But sports fans, concert goers and people attending exhibitions or events will be greeted by brand-new seating, climate-controlled air-conditioning and a bay of windows which let light in like never before.

It's a massive moment for the Canberra sports and events industries, which have been severely hampered by the absence of a mid-sized venue in the capital.

It can be revealed the officials from the Canberra Capitals - one of the stakeholders most affected by the arena closure - were given a behind-the-scenes tour on Tuesday as they start to plot a full-time return to the venue known as "The Palace" in the Canberra Cannons glory years.

Several other hirers have lodged their request to use the AIS Arena now that it is available for bookings, including the junior Pan Pacific swimming championships opening ceremony in August. The Uni-Sport national championships, Skipping Australia national titles and the body building world championships will use the venue in September and November.

The sports commission - a federal government agency - had considered offloading the operational duties to the ACT government and Venues Canberra, but in the end opted to retain oversight.

The ACT government was caught off guard by the closure in 2020, but Chief Minister Andrew Barr was reluctant to invest in remediation work because it was a federal government-owned asset.

The issue was thrust on to the federal election stage in 2021 and a commitment was made to fund the required work. Finance Minister and ACT Senator Katy Gallagher said the "iconic venue" had been neglected over decades.

"The reopening of the AIS Arena by the Albanese government is great news for Canberrans after the facility was neglected by the Liberals," Ms Gallagher said.

"Bringing back this iconic venue is more than just fixing up a building, it means Canberrans can once again enjoy concerts, community, and sporting events. The Albanese government will continue to invest in Canberra."

The sports commission also invested in a new basketball court after the old court was damaged while in storage during the shutdown.

The new floor - which was previously used in Indonesia - will pave the way for a variety of sports to use the facility, including basketball, netball, volleyball and boccia.

The federal government has also committed almost $250 million to new and improved facilities at the AIS campus in Bruce, and another $10 million to a multi-purpose precinct study to examine options, which will in part consider details for a new stadium.

Federal Sport Minister Anika Wells said: "The AIS Arena has hosted many iconic sporting and community events over the past 40 years and now these upgrades mean it can host even more events for everyone to enjoy.

"The new look AIS Arena is able to host a wide range of sporting events catering for able and para sport from the grassroots to elite as well as community events."

Canberra Capitals officials have toured a new-look AIS Arena as they map out plans to turn the venue into a full-time home for a WNBL resurgence after its $15 million makeover.

The Capitals are planning to return to the AIS Arena on a full-time basis from the beginning of the 2024-25 season, with officials hoping to shift all games and the majority of training sessions to the venue.

The AIS Arena is finally opening its doors after constant delays, boosting the Capitals' hopes of finding a permanent home after years spent dealing with schedule clashes and games played at subpar venues.

Returning coach Paul Goriss - who led the Capitals to back-to-back titles in the last game played at the AIS Arena four years ago - and prized signing Jade Melbourne will end the lengthy wait when they lead Canberra back into the venue.

Melbourne emerged as one of the hottest stars on the open market, with all eight clubs chasing her signature after she triggered an out-clause in her contract following Kristen Veal's exit from the Capitals.

But Melbourne signed a new deal to play under Goriss, saying the thought of walking into the AIS Arena and seeing Capitals fans in the stands while she is wearing another team's uniform just didn't sit right.

"I spoke to every team, and honestly it just didn't feel right speaking to every team. I was like 'I'm meant to be in a Caps uniform next year'," Melbourne said.

"When it came down to picking where to be, nothing felt more right than coming back to Canberra."

The AIS Arena has been off limits for sporting events since its doors were closed more than four years ago, opening only as a vaccination hub for a short period during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

The Capitals clinched back-to-back titles in the last game played at the AIS Arena before the doors were locked.

The federal government committed $15 million to upgrading the lighting, fire system, seating and safety features to get the 5000-seat venue back online, while the Australian Sports Commission has invested in a new basketball court from Indonesia after the old court was damaged during its long stint in storage.

The Capitals have played the majority of its home games at the National Convention Centre since moving to the city venue ahead of the 2017-18 season.

But the Capitals have been forced to live a nomadic existence at times with schedule clashes at the NCC forcing the WNBL club to move games to Tuggeranong, which needed a major facelift in order to be brought up to league standard.

A power failure at the NCC once forced the Capitals to move a game to a school gym, with officials forced into a match day scramble before landing on Radford College last December.

It is hoped a return to the AIS Arena will resolve those issues, with the WNBL fixture expected to be published next month.