Blockbuster tours filling stadiums, planes and hotels across Australia

Sydney and Melbourne may be the only Australian cities that registered on Taylor Swift’s radar, but it’s not just the East Coast that is set to experience a Goliath year of concerts.

Taylor Swift will perform seven concerts in Australia, four at Sydney’s 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium, and three at the 100,000-capacity MCG in Melbourne. It has been estimated that the pop megastar could pocket $35 million for her Australian tour, her first since 2018. Picture: Getty Images

Blockbuster tours by Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and, potentially, Beyonce are filling stadiums, planes and hotels across Australia, promising hundreds of millions of dollars for local economies over the next 18 months.

Concert data tracker Pollstar has predicted that Swift’s Eras tour will bring in a fortune, with sales from her 146 stadium dates reaching $2.13bn or more – far more than Elton John’s $1.4bn for his multi-year farewell tour.

Hilton Hotels’s Australian business has reported a sharp ­ increase in bookings around Swift’s tour dates – and a corresponding increase in prices. A king corner room at the Hilton Sydney in George St on February 24 – the Saturday of Swift’s three-night concert stint in the city – costs $1026, up from $531 for the previous Saturday.

Airlines have reported a dramatic ­increase in domestic bookings to Sydney and Melbourne on the days of Swift’s concerts. Webjet says online searches for flights to Sydney and Melbourne have increased 282 per cent and 151 per cent, respectively.

Taylor Swift performs in Cincinnati, Ohio. Picture: Taylor Hill

Air New Zealand has added 14 extra flights to accommodate 3000 people travelling to Australia. Swift isn’t playing in New Zealand. Qantas has added 16 flights to bring Kiwis to Sydney and Melbourne from Christchurch and Wellington.

Swift is playing only Sydney and Melbourne, but other cities will enjoy a concert bump.

It is estimated concerts by McCartney in Newcastle, Coldplay in Perth and the Harvest Rock festival in Adelaide will collectively generate almost $100m for the local economies. McCartney is bringing his Got Back tour to the McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.

The show is the result of a partnership struck last year between the City of Newcastle and Venues NSW. The former Beatle is ­expected to pump between $9m and $14m into the local economy, an estimate based on revenue generated by Elton John and Pink, whose shows were the first under the partnership.

Claire Haigh, vice-president of communications for Accor, says the Novotel Hotel in Newcastle has seen increased interest in bookings around the McCartney’s show, “and we ­expect this to pick up over the next few weeks”.

Prices for a room at the QT Newcastle on the day of McCartney’s gig have spiked to $479, compared with $295 the week prior.

Paul McCartney performs alongside Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl at Glastonbury. Upwards of 250,000 fans are expected to flock to see McCartney at his forthcoming Australia tour. Picture: MPL Communications

Elton John’s Newcastle leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road in January injected more than $14m into the city’s economy, drawing a crowd of almost 50,000 over two nights to the McDonald Jones Stadium.

Of the tickets sold, 11,000 were bought by people from outside Newcastle, with 2000 visiting from interstate. During his stint, Newcastle’s accommodation ­occupancy rates almost doubled compared to the same period the year before.

On Monday, it was announced that McCartney would add an extra stadium date to his Got Back tour in Australia after strong pre-sale interest. The seven-stop tour, which includes a 6500-­capacity show at the Adelaide ­Entertainment Centre, is expected to draw a total of 250,000 fans.

Elton John on stage at McDonald Jones Stadium during the Newcastle leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. Picture: Richard Dobson

Then there is the upcoming tour from Pink, who has racked up two million cumulative ticket sales in Australia since 2004 – making her the most successful touring artist in the nation’s history. Her Summer Carnival tour, starting in February next year, will also touch down in Newcastle and is forecasted to deliver another $9m for the city.

“These events also play an ­essential role in boosting tourism, as well as encouraging repeat visitation in the future,” said Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.

Pink will also perform in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

British rock band Coldplay will play Optus Stadium in Perth on November 18 and 19. The Tourism WA-backed concerts are ­expected to generate $68m for the WA economy.

The stadium can hold 70,000 for concerts, yet 300,000 registered for tickets.

A study by Tourism Council WA found that 40,000 of those attending will be from outside the state, mainly from Sydney and Melbourne, staying an average of four nights each.

Coldplay will perform two exclusive shows at the Optus Stadium in Perth in November. Picture: Getty Images

The South Australian government is expecting October’s two-day Harvest Rock festival – which will feature Jamiroquai and Beck – to generate $16.5m in economic activity for Adelaide.

“It’s very ­focused on food and beverage offerings, particularly wine, showcasing all the amazing produce and wineries down in South Australia,” Harvest Rock festival promoter Jessie Ducrou said. Almost a third of festival-goers are expected to attend from interstate or overseas.