Suncorp Stadium cap: Mega-concert expansion plan unveiled for The Cauldron
It’s hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup, U2, Pink and Ed Sheeran, now the iconic Cauldron could land more global superstar gigs.
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More mega-concerts by global superstars as well as blockbuster sporting spectacles like the women’s soccer World Cup could be staged at Suncorp Stadium, with plans to permanently increase the cap on big events at “The Cauldron”.
Major sports event crowd thresholds could also be lifted under a State Government proposal to be put up for public consultation, The Courier Mail can exclusively reveal.
Suncorp’s concert cap, introduced to minimise noise and disruption for local residents and businesses, was temporarily increased from six to 12 concerts in 2022 to help Brisbane bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic and cash in on strong demand from promoters.
The two-year grace period expires this year and the government is seeking community feedback on a plan to permanently allow up to 12 concerts to be held each year.
This could allow more multi-night concerts by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Pink, with the government also looking at counting a series of gigs by the same artist as one concert.
Pink is playing two sold-out concerts at Suncorp Stadium this weekend.
The government proposal to ease restrictions at Suncorp also involves lifting the definition of a major sporting event crowd from greater than 35,000 spectators to 45,000-plus so the stadium can potentially attract more big sports events.
The venue is currently restricted to holding 24 major sporting events a year with a crowd above 35,000 - a figure regularly smashed at even Brisbane Broncos home games.
The NSW Government last month announced it was lifting the concert cap at Allianz Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground to 20 a year, up from the four imposed in 1990 after a noisy Rolling Stones concert.
Suncorp attracted a record 1.3 million spectators last year, with mega-events including the FIFA women’s World Cup and a series of Ed Sheeran concerts helping generate an estimated $750m for the Queensland economy.
Deputy Premier Cameron Dick said the World Cup alone had injected more than $100m into the Queensland economy, far in excess of the $30m forecast, with more than 335,000 fans packing Suncorp for the tournament.
“Suncorp Stadium is one of the premier rectangular sports stadiums in the world and the spiritual home of rugby league in Queensland.
“It’s also one of the preferred concert venues in Australia for acts including Sir Paul McCartney, U2, Ed Sheeran, and just last night, Pink.
“Big events bring big economic benefits.”
Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said easing the restrictions on Suncorp Stadium would help the state build a $2b events calendar by 2032 - up from $850m this year.
“When we host blockbuster events, our visitor economy fires,” she said.
“Big headline acts performing at Suncorp Stadium always draw visitors from around the state and other parts of the country to stay in hotels, eat, drink and shop and enjoy our tourism experiences and attractions, which is huge for the city’s tourism businesses.”
Tourism Minister Michael Healy said the decision to temporarily increase the concert cap in 2022 was made after listening to Queenslanders.
“Now, we are asking Queenslanders whether we should make the increased limit permanent,” he said
“This is not just about Brisbane, we’re also asking whether the finish time for events at the Gold Coast’s Heritage Bank Stadium and Cbus Super Stadium should be extended from 10pm until 10.30pm.”
Suncorp Stadium boss Alan Graham said almost 80 per cent of people who gave feedback the last time the concert cap was relaxed in 2022 were in favour of more music events at the venue.
“We are very mindful of our responsibility to respect our neighbours and go to great lengths to ensure we can minimise any impacts large events have on their amenity,” he said.
Caxton St Traders Association president Sarosh Mehta said allowing Suncorp to host more events was “an absolute no-brainer”.
“Every time there’s a concert, there’s a benefit for business, and not just Caxton St - for the whole of Brisbane,” he said.
This public consultation closes on March 8.
Originally published as Suncorp Stadium cap: Mega-concert expansion plan unveiled for The Cauldron
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