Sunshine Coast farm to transform into world-class music festival venue by 2025
A Sunshine Coast site the size of about 22 football fields could be transformed into a “world-class” music festival and event venue by 2025, rivalling the likes of Byron Bay.
QLD News
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A first look at a “Coachella-style” world-class music festival site – to become one of the nation’s largest- on the southern Sunshine Coast has been revealed more than a year after the project was first announced.
Comiskey Group have lodged a development application with the Sunshine Coast Council for an outdoor music festival and event site located at Roys Rd at Coochin Creek.
Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey said the group envisaged the project as a “world class theatre.”
Covering more than 150ha, the equivalent of about 22 football fields, the application stated the site could be the largest outdoor event venue in Australia.
Mr Comiskey previously said the project was an investment worth “tens of millions” of dollars.
There will be several stages set up for events, including spaces for international guests, Australian artists and local acts.
The project has received inquiries for annual events from Australian and international touring companies.
Mr Comiskey said there will be “everything and anything” in terms of music, from country and contemporary tunes to heavy metal and classic rock.
“There will be a bit for everyone,” he said.
Mr Comiskey said the “unique” venue will be the only dedicated festival site in South East Queensland, with hopes it will host the biggest music festivals in Australia.
It is expected the completed project will create 550 full-time jobs on and off-site and about $60m in expenditure to the Sunshine Coast region.
The group also planned to use the facility to generate support for the tourism sector in terms of accommodation and the Sunshine Coast Airport by hosting events at times of the year with little tourism activity.
Mr Comiskey said it had been a long process involving consultation with community, environment and business groups as well as industry experts.
“We are excited to have it with council and we are really happy with the design,” he said.
Sunshine Coast and Australian artists will be commissioned to create permanent and semipermanent large-scale art installations for the site, free to move around and change depending on the event.
Documents revealed it is expected the site will be host to six events annually including multi-day music festivals and exhibition events.
The venue will have a capacity of 35,000 patrons per day.
The site is located away from urban areas but still close enough for convenient travelling.
It is also in proximity to the planned Sunshine Coast rail link project.
Mr Comiskey hopes the first festival will be held in 2025.
The project will include removing the turf and strawberry farm currently occupying the space, and instead planting thousands of trees, implementing wildlife corridors and a recycling program for a positive environmental impact.
Caloundra Chamber of Commerce chief executive Brady Sullivan said the venue could propel the region onto the national stage for events.
“It will be a vital milestone towards achieving the Queensland Government‘s Towards 2032 tourism target of $44 billion in annual overnight visitor expenditure,” he said.
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Originally published as Sunshine Coast farm to transform into world-class music festival venue by 2025
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