Dear Taylor, Dua and Olivia: Brisbane’s building the stadium, so no more excuses

Queensland audiences are passionate, loyal, and loud. We turn up. We sell out. We know every word. Now we have the stadium we deserve, and it’s up to you deliver for us, writes Georgia Clelland.

Hey superstars, incase you didn’t realise - Brisbane’s back, baby.

Dear Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo (if you’re listening), and every other global superstar who’s ever chosen Sydney and Melbourne over Brisbane - we get it.

Until now, we didn’t have the biggest venue. You needed space. Lights. Pyro. Capacity.

While Brisbane’s 52,500-seat Suncorp Stadium is nothing short of iconic, it simply couldn’t compete with the colosseums of our southern counterparts.

So, you skipped us.

And trust me, we noticed.

But last week, everything changed.

Queensland has officially unveiled on one of the most significant cultural infrastructure announcements in decades: a brand-new, 63,000 seat stadium in Victoria Park.

This is more than just a venue, it’s a statement.

An artist impression of Brisbane’s new stadium in Victoria Park. Source: Queensland Government.

For years, Brisbane - despite being Australia’s third-largest city and one of its fastest-growing - sat frustratingly low on the stadium capacity ladder, coming in fifth nationally.

Sydney had Accor.

Melbourne had the MCG.

And somehow, even Adelaide and Perth managed to outrank us. With all due respect, it was starting to feel a little embarrassing.

And the consequences were clear. Tour after tour passed us by.

Before that, Blackpink passed us by, Harry Styles didn’t stop in, and even KISS left Brisbane off their 2023 tour.

Looking ahead, Oasis is already confirmed to skip Brisbane, and if rumours are true, major artists like Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga may soon announce Australian tours, likely favouring Melbourne and Sydney once again.

But that narrative? It’s over.

No skipping us anymore, Taylor. (Photo by John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

With this new stadium, Brisbane moves up the ladder, from fifth to third in the national rankings.

More importantly, it finally gives touring artists the size, scale, and infrastructure they’ve long claimed they needed to justify a Queensland stop.

But let’s be honest … we’ve always had everything else.

Queensland audiences are passionate, loyal, and loud. We turn up. We sell out. We know every word. What we’ve lacked in venue size, we’ve more than made up for in energy and enthusiasm.

Now, we’ll have both.

And with the 2032 Olympics on the horizon, Brisbane is transforming. This stadium will be more than a performance space, it will be a cornerstone of a new era.

One where Brisbane isn’t just a tour detour. It’s the destination.

To every artist planning tours seven years from now and beyond, and to whoever headlines the next era of global music, the message is simple: Brisbane is no longer optional. It’s essential.

The Weeknd plays at Sydney Olympic Park, but he should stop in Brisbane from 2032.

To every promoter, manager and tour planner, this is your cue to redraw the map.

Brisbane has always had the fanbase. Now, it has the infrastructure.

The stage is quite literally set, in one of the city’s most scenic parklands, just minutes from the CBD, a far cry from Accor Stadium’s 30-minute commute from central Sydney.

And this won’t just be a big venue. It will be an iconic one.

We’re no longer your underdog. We are your next stadium spectacular.

So next time you’re drawing up that Australian tour poster, don’t just list Sydney and Melbourne and hope we won’t notice. We always notice.

But starting now, we expect more.

And we’re ready for it.

Sincerely,

Georgia Clelland

Entertainment reporter

Originally published as Dear Taylor, Dua and Olivia: Brisbane’s building the stadium, so no more excuses