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Major QLD Music Festival Site Coochin Fields Approved

Mary Varvaris

Coochin Fields has been described as Queensland's “largest dedicated festival site — and a new destination for the biggest names in music, now closer to home.”

Coochin Fields Site
Coochin Fields Site(Credit: Supplied/Comiskey Group)

A major new site to hold outdoor music festivals and exhibitions is heading to the Sunshine Coast, officially receiving the go-ahead for the project.

The Queensland government has approved a new 155-hectare site located at Coochin Creek on the Sunshine Coast. It’s set to hold 35,000 festivalgoers and support more than 680 jobs and generate over $70 million in annual revenue for the region.

Comiskey Group has described the new site, Coochin Fields, as the state’s “largest dedicated festival site — and a new destination for the biggest names in music, now closer to home.”

In a statement, Queensland’s Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the new festival site would boost the state’s tourism industry.

“Coochin Fields is exactly the type of opportunity the Crisafulli Government is determined to support as we rebuild and grow the state’s tourism industry,” Bleijie said, via Sunshine Coast News.

“The conditions we’ve imposed will ensure the project respects the unique environmental values of the area while delivering huge economic benefits for the Sunshine Coast region.

“This decision aligns with Queensland’s Destination 2045 tourism strategy, which aims to diversify the state’s tourism offering and position Queensland as a leading destination for world-class events. We are backing projects like Coochin Fields because they help reposition Queensland as a destination where the tourism industry has confidence to grow.”

Comiskey Group Director David Comiskey added that the new site is a “game-changer” for live music events in Queensland.

“Coochin Fields is a game-changer for Queensland. As the largest dedicated festival site in the State, it gives promoters, artists and audiences the scale and certainty they’ve been calling for,” Comiskey said.

“Most importantly, it means the world’s biggest acts can now perform right here on the Sunshine Coast.”

QMusic CEO Kris Stewart commented, “We have been calling for more large-scale dedicated music venues for a long time, and Coochin Fields will be a tremendous new asset to the music industry.

“Having this kind of investment in a festival and music venue will be a boon both for Queensland audiences and artists.”

While there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the project, it’s also amassed some criticism from environmental activists and local musicians. The site borders the Pumicestone Passage, ABC notes, which is part of the Ramsar-listed Moreton Bay Marine Park.

ABC reports that numerous community groups urged the state government to reject the application for Coochin Fields, citing concerns about bushfire risk and potential for environmental damage.

Sunshine Coast Environment Council’s Narelle McCarthy described the decision to approve Coochin Fields as “disgraceful.”

“It ignores environmental and safety risks and is not in any way sustainable tourism,” McCarthy told the ABC.

Following extensive consultation, the Queensland government added “100 conditions” to protect the environment and local wildlife, such as installing a requirement for wildlife-friendly fencing, management of stormwater, and operational plans to prevent neighbouring sites from being affected by future music festivals.