Sydney’s blockbuster events line-up to boost NSW’s post-Covid economy
Your economy needs you - and NSW has a stellar line-up of events to pump up to $1 billion into the state. Find out what’s coming up across NSW.
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EXCLUSIVE
Your economy needs you – and fortunately NSW has a stellar line-up of autumn and winter events that could pump up to $1 billion into the state.
“NSW has an incredible calendar of blockbuster events lined up for our autumn and winter months,” Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said.
“From Australian premieres of hit musical productions, to World Cup qualifiers and our internationally-celebrated Vivid Sydney, we have something for everyone from Mundi Mundi to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.”
WHAT’S COMING UP
Phantom of the Opera: The longest-running show in musical history is coming to the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour stage from 25 March-24 April.
SURFEST: 2022 will mark the 36th anniversary of SURFEST at Merewether Beach in Newcastle from 15-27 March.
Sydney Royal Easter Show: Australia’s largest ticketed event, as the country meets the city from 8 – 19 April.
Toyota Tamworth Country Music Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022 from 18-24 April.
The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash 40 kilometres northwest of Broken Hill from 21-23 April and enjoy a stellar line up of iconic Australian musicians.
State of Origin between NSW and Queensland will begin at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on June 8.
Vivid Sydney celebrates its 12th year from 27 May – 18 June.
Afterpay Australian Fashion Week from 9-13 May provides Australian designers with a global platform.
9-5 The Musical is playing at Sydney’s The Capitol Theatre until 1 May. Australian Women’s Classic, formerly known as The Australian Ladies Classic, at Bonville will take place from 21-24 April.
Parkes Elvis Festival in its 29th year will take place on April 20-24th.
Great Southern Nights across all corners of NSW from 18 March to 10 April.
Sydney Biennale is a free event taking place from 12 March to 13 June.
Australia’s Socceroos vs. Japan in a football World Cup Qualifier at Stadium Australia on 24 March.
Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said the aim of the events was to rebuild the $43 billion visitor economy and grow it to $65 billion by 2030 when NSW would be “the events capital of the Asia Pacific”.
“We want the NSW visitor economy to fire on all cylinders and the NSW Government has a razor-sharp focus on facilitating a strong consumer and business-led recovery of the state,” he said.
The key was to get people to shrug off their Covid isolation habits and get out and enjoy events that have been cancelled for the last two years.
Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, said: “Ticket sales are just the tip of the iceberg, these events could be worth up to $1 billion to the NSW economy in direct and indirect spending.
“Every time you have an event people spend on accommodation, hotels go to laundries with their sheets, people eat in restaurants and farmers sell produce.”
Ms Osmond said this was the opportunity to spend and boost the domestic economy.
“Now is the moment for domestic travel and if you live in NSW you have most opportunities for experiences and fun.”
The bush will be coming to Sydney for the 200th Easter Show which defied Covid for 12 days last year to attract 800,000 people to the showground with an economic impact of $250 million.
Entertainer Brad Green said: “I think it is going to be an economic boom with so many people coming to enjoy the family entertainment on offer.”
Vivid will also light up the city from the end of May until the end of June. Before Covid it attracted 2.4 million visitors and pumped $172 million into the economy.
Artist Paul Capsis will be performing at Vivid for the first time this year and encouraged people to attend because “this city needs to be re-energised.”
Designer Julie Shaw from the Maara Collective will have a collection on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week and hopes it will help open up the economy for local manufacturers.
Theatres are once again playing to packed houses. Erin Clare, who plays Doralee Rhodes in the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5, said not being able to perform for two years has been “really tough”.
“We lost our incomes but also who we are as people,” she said. “Everyone has come back so much more appreciative of what we are able to do.
“We love theatre and now we need people to come out and laugh, drink and enjoy live entertainment once again.”
Country music singer Adam Harvey will be heading to the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival in April and said “it is the light at the end of the tunnel for everyone in the country music scene.
“After Covid we enjoy going out and playing live more than ever. You lose your sense of purpose when you can’t get out and do what you love,” he said.
Noiseworks founding bass guitarist Steve Balbi will be playing at the Mundi Mundi Bash at Broken Hill which is being headlined by Paul Kelly. “There is a hell of a lot of pent up entertainment ready to be unleashed,” he said.
“If you like rock and roll and want a once in a lifetime experience then you have to come.”
The King will be swinging in Parkes in April for the rescheduled Elvis festival.
Asked if he would be attending, impersonator Emilio Prince said: “Uh huh. It will be fantastic. Thank you very much.”
Sport is also kicking off. Golfer June Song will be playing in the Australian Women’s Classic while teen surfer Grace Durrant will be competing in the Junior Pro at Surfest in Manly. The State of Origin begins at Stadium Australia on June 8 and could generate more than $100 million this year.
The six weeks of the Autumn Racing Carnival will generate $62 million in expenditure for the NSW economy. Australian Turf Club Chief Executive Jamie Barkley said: “This is Sydney’s first racing Carnival in more than two years without any restrictions and we have already seen people flock to the Longines Golden Slipper to celebrate live world-class racing and entertainment.
“Autumn is a superb time in Sydney to spend and get out in your finest racewear with friends for The Championships at Royal Randwick.
“Going to the track and getting major events going across Sydney again is how racing helps drive the economy and gets more people back into a very tough job market.’’
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