Foo FightersNew data from the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) confirms past TheMusic reports on how Australian music fans are travelling longer distances to see shows.
This involves going interstate and abroad.
The TTF report found that over a third (36%) of Australians cross state borders each year – not just for concerts and festivals but for sports and other major events.
The most enthusiastic of concert travellers are 25 to 34-year-olds, who make up 51%. They are followed by 18 to 24-year-olds at 46%. Males are more likely to travel (39%) compared to females (33%).
TTF Chief Executive, Margy Osmond, pointed out, “Live events are a crucial part of Australia’s cultural fabric and economy. Australians are willing to travel for the moments that matter, and our research shows big events continue to draw people across the country.”
The report cited the national demand for restaurant and hotel accommodation for Lady Gaga shows in three cities.
When the Mother Monster hit Sydney between December 12 and 14, searches for weekend accommodation leapt 75% year-on-year.
The country’s largest hotel operator, Accor, reported its Sydney rooms were 92% occupied on the night of the Friday show, and 85% on the Saturday.
Its hotels at Sydney Olympic Park, adjacent to Accor Stadium, where the concerts were held, were at capacity: 96% on Friday and 98% on Saturday.
Accor reported in Melbourne and Brisbane shows “sparked exceptional demand”. Its Chief Operating Officer (Asia Pacific), Adrian Williams, shared, “Lady Gaga’s tour (showed) how major artists can put cities on the Edge of Glory when it comes to visitation and economic activity.”
Over at Booking.com, accommodation searches in Melbourne were as high as 90%, a figure that its Regional Manager Oceania & Korea, Todd Lacey, described as “staggering”.
He added: “These blockbuster events are clearly must-attend motivators for a diverse audience of Aussie travellers.
“This trend reinforces our broader Booking.com Travel Trends research, which shows over a third of Aussie travellers are planning event travel solely for a music festival or concert.”
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters’ one-off show in Launceston on January 24 is another example. The 24,000 tickets sold out in 20 minutes, according to reports.
The Foos are flying out to the island from America, will be on the ground for 48 hours, and then return to the States right after.
Fans from around Australia will also be making similar brief visits, boosting the island’s North East alone by $7.5 million.
Qantas is adding six more flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane that week. Jetstar will have more low-cost return seats by adding bigger aircraft on existing services.
“As soon as the concert was announced, we saw a spike in bookings, and we know more fans will want to lock in their travel when they secure event tickets,” Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said.
The Foos show is also a test for when the Macquarie Point Stadium in Hobart is finally built and opens in 2029 after years of delay.
Featuring a retractable roof, it will have a capacity of 31,500 for concerts and 24,500 for sports and main events. Of the 334 events it’s set to stage per year, 34 will be sports and entertainment events.
Its operator, Stadiums Tasmania, has already had talks with Live Nation, TEG and Frontier Touring about which artist will exclusively play at the venue’s opening.
The discussions with promoters also included getting a continual supply of exclusive acts.
Stadiums Tasmania boss James Avery told Parliament, “If you can get an artist coming from overseas to play one concert in Australia and that happens to be at our venue, your ability to attract interstate travellers and also from New Zealand and some other locations outside of Australia increases significantly.
“That’s been a focus of our discussions with concert promoters. So we need to get the balance right to ensure that as many Tasmanians as possible can enjoy these types of events, particularly because they could be new types of events to the state.”
The advent of music fans globally travelling from cities and countries for live entertainment is currently worth US$2.9 trillion, says Trip.com Group’s Momentum 2025 report.
Melbourne is named as the only Australian city on a list of “stagecation” hubs alongside Las Vegas, Singapore and Macau.
63% of travellers across Asia cross borders to see their favourite artists. 85% of Thai travellers and 66% of Malaysians combine concerts/festivals with family vacations.
Fans flew from around the region – including Australia – to Taylor Swift’s six exclusive shows in Singapore in March 2024, before 300,000 fans. The only Southeast Asian stop on the Eras world tour, it added between S$300 million (AU$349.8 million) and $400 million (AU$466.5 million) to the island nation’s economy.
Miffed at missing out on Swift, Asia-Pacific governments and their tourist agencies are working with live entertainment, night markets and holidays to indulge tourists.
Global festival brands with a rusted-on global audience are an obvious.
This year, the Thai Government agreed to finance the staging of the Belgian EDM festival Tomorrowland there for five years from 2026. The plan is to draw a million people by 2030.
Similarly, the New Zealand Government is financing Ultra festival, making its NZ debut in 2026, playing on the Wellington waterfront on April 10 to a forecast 24,000 in a multi-deal by Ultra Worldwide, WellingtonNZ and local promoter Audiology Touring.
Audiology Touring’s Mitch Lowe is expecting crowds from Australia and the Asian region.
He said, “In April, the city will be transformed into an international celebration that puts our capital on the world festival map.
“People travel far and wide to attend Ultra, and we’re excited to show international visitors what the country has to offer, all whilst giving our prized locals something to be proud of.”
Earlier this year, American Express issued its 2025 Global Travel Trends Report, which did a deep dive into why Australian and global Millennials and Gen Z are concert touring more.
One reason is that posting on social media of experiencing a concert or festival has a greater cool factor if it’s not in one’s home city but somewhere exotic.
The AmEx report also noted that, aside from combining concerts and festivals with vacations, the concert experience for the younger demo begins on the journey to the show, whether by boat, cruise, or rail.
51 per cent travelled domestically as much in 2025 as they did last year, with 43% travelling abroad.
“As many Aussies prioritise experiences, live events are becoming the ultimate excuse to explore new destinations and celebrate passions to make lasting memories,” pointed out Corinne Ng, General Manager of American Express Travel and Lifestyle Services.
“It’s clear that Aussies are redefining travel by prioritising meaningful experiences, maximising reward points and blending technology with personal insights.”
