Music Festivals Safe In Brisbane Showgrounds Redevelopment Plans

The future of music festivals at Brisbane's RNA Showgrounds has been secured amid a historic $2.9 billion redevelopment project that includes the addition of a four-star hotel, several food-and-beverage outlets, more than 400 new residences and a round-the-clock entertainment precinct.

"Our music festivals are vital; we love hosting them here, and that's not going to change," RNA's general manager of communications, Veronica Carew, told theMusic.com.au.

“Laneway and Soundwave and those festivals, which are wonderful festivals for Brisbane, will be largely unaffected [by the redevelopment].”

The new phase of work on the Showgrounds is actually the second in the redevelopment, with stage one having commenced in April 2011, and will continue to be undertaken around the 22-hectare grounds with minimal impact on existing events, Carew explained.

As a result, even with the increases to residential, commercial and construction activity in the precinct, music fans' favoured festivities will, as with the grounds' other major events over the past few years (such as annual flagship event the Ekka), go on as planned, "with minimum disruption", she said.

"Yes, we will have Soundwave; Laneway will be largely unaffected, and we would love for those events to remain here for as long as possible," Carew said. "It’s great to have those wonderful music festivals in the heart of the CBD."

Soundwave is already booked into the RNA grounds from February 28-March 1 next year; St Jerome's Laneway festival will swing by beforehand, on January 31 (the festival's first Saturday slot in six years), and, with a little patience, Queenslanders will be able to soon enjoy all the hallmarks of a long-overdue, sorely needed "true events precinct" in the centre of Brisbane, Carew said. 

The redevelopment of the 139-year-old RNA Showgrounds — stage two of which centres on the bustling King Street/Kings Gate zone, new apartment complex The Green, and the design and development of a 208-room Rydges hotel — is part of a fifteen-year revitalisation plan supported by the federal and state governments and Opposition, and Brisbane City Council.

The current stage of the grounds' revitalisation is due for completion late next year.