Queensland Signals Greater Push For International Tours, Events To Hit $1B

The new Queensland Government has signalled a double strategy, to make a greater effort to snare A-list international superstars and to make Queensland the events capital of Australia.

This came in the wake of its January 2nd data release that its 2025 events will generate $1 billion from over 125 experiences, through Tourism and Events Queensland.

“With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, we’re strongly focused on ensuring Queensland is the events hub of Australia,” declared Andrew Powell, Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation.

Asked about bringing major acts out, the Minister told the Courier Mail: “It’s a pretty complex space bidding for events, and there’s a lot involved. 

“We will certainly do everything we possibly can, but sometimes at the end of the day artists make decisions where they and their producers determine where is best to go.

“We will do what we can to make Queensland and Brisbane front and centre (and) I think we will create such a vibe around Queensland over the course of the next couple of years that artists such as that will want to come to Queensland.”

Under the previous government, events pumped $680 million into the Queensland economy in 2023, and brought in 267,000 visitors. 

Plans then were to grow visitor spending to $44 billion by 2032, and for events to generate $2 billion.

Increase Funding

This push to attract more international acts and events would mean that the new Government must consider increasing the grants and subsidies budget for Tourism and Events Queensland. 

In last year’s budget under the old regime, funding for 2025 dropped by $6 million to $52.5 million from $58.2 million.

Queensland is still smarting over the economic black eye from missing out on two of last year’s blockbuster tours, Taylor Swift and Coldplay. This year so far Oasis, Kygo, Dua Lipa, and Cody Johnson have tentatively sidelined the Sunshine State.

Taylor Swift generated $558 million from her shows in Melbourne and Sydney after drawing 620,000 fans. This was an estimate by RMIT University’s Associate Professor of Finance Angel Zhong. She calculated each Australian fan spent $900 on tickets, accommodation, travel, merchandise and dining. 

KPMG put the figure at $140 million for Melbourne and Sydney, and Business Sydney at $113 million to Sydney alone. Australia enjoyed Swift’s third largest economic impact on the Eras tour, after the US and UK, said Newsweek.

Coldplay played a total of 680,227 fans on their Australian run and grossed $129.6 million for multi-shows in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Where Queensland missed out on, for instance, was a staggering 125 per cent rise in hotel bookings (as happened in Sydney).

It was a lesson for Queensland on how the West Australian Government benefitted by shelling out $8 million to get Coldplay to Perth’s Optus Stadium in November 2023. 

Of 125,000 attendees singing along to Chris Martin and cohorts, 40,000 were from outside WA. They brought into the state an impressive $43.4 million. On average, the visitors stayed for a week in WA and spent $274 each day.

Financial Results

When international superstars do play Queensland, the financial results are awesome.

P!NK’s nationwide tour last year drew close to 1 million fans and grossed $50 million. In the regional Far North city of Townsville, which has been actively pulling for A-list music acts for the past few years, there were 65,000 fans over two nights at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium. 20,000 were from outside Queensland, and they injected $39.8 million into the city.

The head of Townsville Enterprise, Claudia Brumme-Smith, noted: “Major events are the cornerstone to our region’s visitor experience, and as the region continues to grow, this is becoming a point of distinction for our destination.”

In Brisbane, P!nk played eight shows at the Entertainment Centre to 100,000. Of these, 10,000 were from outside Queensland. Hotel occupancy of 95 to 100 per cent suggested half the audience was from outside Brisbane.

In 2017, Elton John extended his Once In A Lifetime Tour to the Far North’s Mackay and Cairns, and reached 40,000 spectators. 

Of the 15,000 at the Mackay show at BB Print Stadium, almost 5,000 were from outside Mackay. They pumped almost $3 million into its economy. About 200 travelled from New Zealand, Spain, US, UK, Denmark, Israel, and the Netherlands.

Major Stadiums

Last year when John ‘JC’ Collins became Night Life Economy Commissioner, he commented that a “world-class” stadium in Brisbane would boost the city’s chances of luring big-name acts.

It's a good time for Queensland. In the run-up to the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, stadiums are being built or upgraded around the state.

After his government came into power last October, Premier David Crisafulli announced a 100-day review of the events’ venues, notably whether to upgrade the 55,000 capacity Gabba in inner-city Woolloongabba for $2.7 billion or build a 55,000-seater at Victoria Park for $3.4 billion.

In a further lure for international acts, the Federal Government has reached into its pockets for the new $2.1 billion Brisbane Arena at the Roma Street Station precinct, adding 17,000 to 18,000 new seats.

In addition, the 52,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium is permanently doubling the number of concerts to 12 a year after a trial.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is pushing ahead with the $480 million indoor arena in Carey Park in Southport, to open by 2029. It was initially for 12,000 seats but Tate now wants to expand to 18,000 bum warmers.

In Cairns, there are proposals for Cazaly Stadium to expand to 20,000 as part of a $500 million revamp; and Barlow Park get more seats as part of a $91 million pre-Olympics rebuild paid for by the Federal and Queensland Governments.

Rockhampton’s rugby league Browne Park has begun a $54 million stage one redevelopment that will increase seating to 18,000 in a quest to lure international concerts and sporting events.

The Queensland Government will have to deal with criticisms from live music executives over the high cost of hiring the state’s major venues, particularly outside Brisbane, the cost of government services including police and transport, and venue infrastructure needs. 

Music Festivals

Closer to home, music festivals are included in the State Government’s 2025 events calendar. Six of them contribute a total of $66.96 million in an economic sense, and nearly 350,000 patrons.

CMC Rocks (March 21st - 23rd), which last year extended its deal to stay in the state to at least 2026, attracts 23,000 visitors and injects $14 million into the Queensland economy.

Savannah In The Round (October 9th - 12th) in the Cairns hinterland last year set a new attendance record with a 25 per cent increase in ticket ales to a cumulative 23,000 and a $4.5 million economic boost.

The free Blues On Broadbeach (May 15th - 18th) is on track for over 170,000 and an economic impact of $21 million. Its country music sibling Groundwater (Oct 17-19) gets in 70,000 while its 2019 estimate had a fiscal gain of $8.46 million. Both these events get two-third of the crowd from outside Broadbeach.

Organisers of Gympie Music Muster (August 28th - 31st) are expecting a cumulative 50,000, as it did in 2024, with monetary flow-on of $4 million.

Plans by Big Red Bash in Birdsville to take a breather in 2025 – normally with a draw of 8,000 to 11,000 – will leave a black hole of $15 million, leaving local businesses in despair.

Richard Clarke, TEQ’s Group Executive of Events, said convincing travellers to head to Queensland to attend events was a “significant” money spinner for the economy.

“Events play a pivotal role in not only attracting visitors to the state, but getting them to stay longer and generating a significant economic return for communities across Queensland,” he said.

“Our events also celebrate Queensland’s unique and diverse story which raises the profile of our destinations and keeps people coming back for more.”