Suncorp Stadium doubles concert limit while Allianz Stadium cap remains mired in red tape
Even megastars like Justin Bieber are finding it hard to get a gig at Sydney’s newest stadium, thanks to “ridiculous” red tape Brisbane’s already torn down. Here’s how we can win artists back.
NSW
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Sydney is in danger of missing out on big name acts after the Queensland Government doubled the number of concerts at Suncorp Stadium to 12.
The announcement came as desperate music promoters begged the NSW Government to ignore local NIMBYs and double the concert cap at the new $800 million Allianz Stadium to match it.
“It is ridiculous,” music promoter TEG chief executive Geoff Jones said. “We have a new state of the art stadium at Moore Park and it behoves us to use it.
“We have got a whole lot of artists lining up who would really value coming to a stadium the size of Allianz.”
But instead artists are more likely to be able to find a spot at the 20-year-old Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane after the Queensland Government doubled its concert cap.
Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said overseas artists were “scrambling” for dates and seized the opportunity to accommodate them. “We’re seeing a stream of major international music acts putting together plans to get back on the road with world stadium tours after Covid,” he said.
“Whether it’s Ed Sheeran or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, major concerts bring visitors who spend millions of dollars in the tourism economy and support local jobs.”
The Queensland Government got locals on board by holding an online poll which came back with 78 per cent of respondents in favour of lifting the concert cap for the next two years.
By contrast the concert cap in Sydney remains mired in planning red tape. NSW Sport Minister Alister Henskens said: “Venues NSW will continue working with the Department of Planning and Environment, the EPA and other relevant agencies to increase the concert cap at the SCG Precinct.”
Roger Field, President of Live Nation Asia Pacific, said the promoter “represents many of the top stadium acts in the world, and there has been keen interest from top-tier artists wanting to perform at Allianz Stadium.
“It would be embarrassing if we could not deliver on hosting these major events given the significant investment the NSW Government has made to build this incredible stadium and all efforts to retain Sydney as a world city with a revitalised night-time economy.”
A recent study found the economic impact of a stadium concert in Sydney was $7 million with concert goers spending on average $335 on hotels, bars and restaurants on top of the $100 ticket price.
Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, said: “These type of concerts bring people into Sydney and boost the whole economy.
“Queensland is really focused on major events and this is a moment where NSW could look north and say ‘we can do that too’.”
Dion Brant, chief executive of Frontier Touring, said Justin Bieber had just postponed two concerts at Allianz Stadium because of illness and the six concert cap made re-booking difficult.
“They already have five concerts booked for next year and to have to move him to another venue or wait until the following year just shows the craziness of this arbitrary limit,” he said.
“There is a lot of pent up demand with big name acts who are keen to come and to turn them away based on arbitrary concert limit is crazy.”
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