Australian Open organisers set sights on attracting one million fans over three weeks
Australian Open organisers are pulling out all the stops to lure a record-breaking one million fans. Here’s how they hope to entice you through the gates.
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Australian Open organisers will set the ambitious target of luring one million fans to the Melbourne Grand Slam for the first time.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley will on Wednesday announce a long range plan to meet the million fan milestone at Melbourne Park, with an extension of build up events to the January drawcard.
It will start with a push to attract 900,000 fans to the Open this summer, after two years of restricted crowds.
“We want to return to our pre-Covid plans of cementing the AO as the biggest annual sporting event in the world in January, while also making it as accessible to as many fans as possible,’’ he said.
The record Open crowd across the two weeks of the tournament was 812,174 in 2020.
Mr Tiley said the tournament was now ready to welcome more fans and add events to spread it across three weeks.
“We can’t wait for what promises to be a jam-packed calendar designed to appeal to all ages,’’ he said.
The Herald Sun can reveal a new Beach Bar will be the centrepiece of a revamped Australian Open precinct, also featuring a bigger AO Ballpark with a water slide.
Inspired by the success of a smaller sandy spectator zone at this year’s Open, the northern side of Melbourne Park will be transformed into a Beach Club billed as the “landmark destination at the AO this summer”.
It will feature private cabanas, palm trees and a double-story bar crowned with a DJ booth towering over the tennis precinct.
The Beach Bar will also be home to Sydney’s popular restaurant Charcoal Fish, which will come to Melbourne for the first time, as well as the AO’s first signature spritz bar.
Kids Tennis Day will also return.
Charcoal Fish chef and owner Josh Niland said: “It has been a dream of mine to not only cook our fish in Melbourne but be involved with this iconic sporting event.’’
Tennis Australia chief commercial officer Cedric Cornelis said: “fans will be able to enjoy fresh seafood and a signature AO Spritz with friends, soundtracked by a rotating roster of some of Melbourne’s most in demand DJs.’’
The Open will be staged from January 16-29, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
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