Toowoomba Meatstock: 2024 event to attract more than 20,000 people over three days at showgrounds

Meatstock’s third edition could attract more than 20,000 people and inject upwards of $8m into the Toowoomba economy. Here’s why it’s staying for the foreseeable future:

Meatstock organisers say they want the massive food and music festival to remain in Toowoomba for years to come — provided people keep turning up.

Co-founder Jay Beaumont says his team is preparing for more than 20,000 people to roll through the gates of the Toowoomba Showgrounds over three days from March 8-10.

It would make the third edition of the wildly successful national touring event the biggest yet, injecting upwards of $8m into the regional economy based on tourism estimates.

The combination with the ever-popular Red Hot Summer tour on the same weekend is likely to fill up every accommodation option in Toowoomba.

Meatstock is back in 2024.

Along with a huge selection of barbecue and meat stalls, Meatstock has bolstered its musical attractions headlined by US country sensation Chayce Beckham along with Australia’s James Johnston, the Wolfe Brothers, Casey Barnes and Kaylee Bell.

Mr Beaumont, who turned a love of Texas-style barbecue into a festival juggernaut, said Toowoomba wasn’t the original choice for the Queensland leg of the tour.

“The logical choice was Brisbane due to the showgrounds, but it just didn’t feel right,” he said.

“When we got up to Toowoomba, it felt like a place we could grow with, and the fact you could camp there was big for us.

“It felt like a cool town – I call Toowoomba the Texas of Australia and it’s also the centre point for a lot of the beef that comes out of Australia.”

A $50,000 sponsorship deal with the Toowoomba Regional Council helped seal the deal in 2022, with Mr Beaumont arguing it turned what could’ve been a one-off event into a regular attraction.

Joshua Meehan from Hoy Pinoy with skewers, one of many vendors offering succulent meat options at MeatStock. Meatstock 2023 at Toowoomba Showgrounds. Friday, April 14, 2023. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“Meatstock is a quirky festival in that we’re a food and music festival — some come for the food and others for the music,” he said.

“It’s not government-funded, we don’t get any of those fancy grants, we’re a self-sufficient festival.

“Funding would be real nice, but the Toowoomba council gave us a sponsorship that helped us make a decision — it was the deciding factor.

“You see these festivals that pop up but there are very few that stick around and become regular events (so) we appreciate council giving us sponsorship.”

This amount was reduced to $15,000 last year, with Meatstock not approaching council this year for money.

Along with music and food, Mr Beaumont said the three-day event included attractions like steak and butchers wars, beard competitions and a car show.

“We’ve got a burger eating competition, we’re doing a wings competition and a beards, mullets, mos competition — there are also butchers’ wars, they will do demos and tastings,” he said.

“There is even arm-wrestling championship, so there’s something different to watch wherever you turn.

“Instead of just sitting in a chair and watching music, there’s always something to do.”

Peter Homan, CEO, Southern Queensland Country Tourism

Massive weekend reveals accommodation pressures

Toowoomba’s leading tourism body says the dual attractions of Meatstock and Red Hot Summer will once again expose the city’s accommodation pressures.

With tens of thousands of tourists expected to descend on the Garden City across March 8-10, hotels, caravan parks and Airbnb providers are expected to be filled to the brim at a usually quiet part of the year.

Southern Queensland Country Tourism chief executive Peter Homan said this influx of overnight visitors highlighted a serious shortfall in the number of accommodation options.

“Our forward numbers are showing (full occupancy) and have for the past three weeks,” he said.

“It’s not just the number of rooms, it’s the leisure facing market — nearly every accommodation provider is catering for corporate markets.

“There’s not much in town addressing the leisure market, with a big pool and the rooms based around having fun.

“While it’s good to open up campgrounds, there’s still a huge market that don’t have camping trailers.

“When they stay overnight, they buy dinner, breakfast, lunch and then they’ll go shopping (but) if they’re coming up and then leaving, they’re pushed for time.”