Arena Market: Australia

Australia’s isolation has been a blessing and a curse. Music fans lament the lack of tours but when they come there’s no shortage of ticket buyers. The accident of geography that leaves Australia a long way from both North America and Europe means that smaller bands and more niche events struggle to raise funds to come over, and pricey air fares and long travel distances impact those performers in the same way they do tourists. But there is a massive market for music from abroad in Australia. And the country’s arenas have shown this in a big way.

“2023 was a brilliant bounce-back year for our arenas– the first full year post-Covid – despite a plethora of stadium shows, and 2024 is equally strong, despite a number of outdoor plays. 2025 is shaping up to potentially eclipse both years,” says Tim Worton, group director, arenas at ASM Global, which oversees the RAC in Perth, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, and Qudos Bank and ICC in Sydney. “We’ve had some huge tours with multiple show plays this year already, from acts like Jonas Brothers, Theo Von, and SZA. And there are a number close to announcing for 2024 and plenty booked in 2025, including multi-show runs by Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, and Cigarettes After Sex. The seemingly unquenchable thirst for ticket sales is leading to sell out after sell out, in complete defiance of the economic indicators that suggest people should be being more selective in their discretionary spending. And we’re just loving that people are so keen to buy tickets to live gigs – long may it continue.”

In Australia’s biggest market, the going is good. “The past 12 months has sustained a steady level of content, despite there being an increase in stadium concerts during that period with the vast majority of shows selling out to defy current cost-of-living pressures,” says Steve Hevern, GM of Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. “K-Pop, rock, urban, and country artists are still leading the way, with the phenomenon known as Fred Again… being the biggest surprise of the year for selling out three shows (48,572 tickets) in just three hours to become the quickest-selling event in the arena’s rich 24-year ”

“Early indicators for next year are showing that 2025 could well exceed that of our record year of 2023 with a plethora of quality acts coming through”

He adds: “Early indicators for next year are showing that 2025 could well exceed that of our record year of 2023 with a plethora of quality acts coming through – including Billie Eilish and Chris Stapleton – as patrons continue to rank memorable experiences as a high priority for enriching their lives during these challenging economic times.”

The view from the west coast is similar. “Despite the increase in cost of living, the live entertainment market is thriving in WA. There are many international acts still returning to our shores for the first time since Covid, so fans are eager to see their favourite artists after such a long time. We believe people are choosing to spend their discretionary income on enjoying these experiences over other purchases, so for the most part, our events have been very well attended,” says Michael Scott, GM of the RAC Arena in Perth, which has welcomed Matchbox Twenty, blink-182, and 50 Cent to its 2,000-16,000-capacity space.

“The concert business continues to be the most lucrative event genre, while comedy remains robust, with a string of shows on streaming platforms helping fans discover performers. Historically, there has been the perception that country music acts are not as strong in WA. However, Luke Combs’ show late last year blew that theory out of the water, selling out in a number of minutes. We believe this is a sign of a shift in the market and demonstrates the growing strength of the fanbase,” says Scott. It also seems like good neighbours become good friends: “Additionally, Asian pop genres such J-Pop and K-Pop have been underrepresented in our market to date. Although it’s currently untested, we believe that with its continued rise in popularity within the mainstream music industry, Asian pop presents a wealth of opportunity for those that are willing to take the chance and get in first to tap into the pent-up demand.”

He adds: “The increased attendances at family entertainment events such as Disney On Ice and Cirque du Soleil suggest that Australians remain eager to participate in engaging family activities. In fact, Disney On Ice achieved its largest single performance at RAC Arena, surpassing a record set during their 2013 season run. And our run of Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL shows produced the highest ticket sales for their entire Australasian tour. With 65,000 tickets issued across the ten shows at RAC Arena, our venue was the second-highest selling city in the world after Mexico City for this tour.”

“Asian pop genres such J-Pop and K-Pop have been underrepresented in our market to date. Although it’s currently untested, we believe that with its continued rise in popularity within the mainstream music industry Asian pop presents a wealth of opportunity for those that are willing to take the chance and get in first to tap into the pent-up demand.”

Australia’s logistical challenges and isolation impact costs and prices meaning that putting on shows of any kind here is not child’s play, as Scott confirms: “It comes as no surprise that the cost of freight has exponentially increased since the pandemic. As a Perth-based venue, operating in the most isolated capital city in the world, this presents us with a challenge. With the appointment of a new event procurement manager role, we are working hard alongside the government and industry on a number of initiatives to help solve this issue. There is a strong appetite in our market for live entertainment, so we’re highly motivated to overcome this hurdle so we can continue attracting world-class entertainment to meet this demand.” Obviously, perched as far from Sydney as London is from Moscow, Perth is particularly aware of this isolation.

As with other arena leaders, Scott has tried to focus on green improvements at the RAC: “A significant accomplishment within the sustainability space has been the increase in landfill diversion rates with the venue consistently exceeding the 70% goal. Furthermore, together with our naming rights partner, a smart bike hub has been installed on the venue’s forecourt, offering patrons an alternative to traditional modes of transportation to the venue. The hub provides visitors with a convenient place to safely park and charge their e-bike or e-scooter at no cost.”

Canberra’s AIS Arena has been closed since Covid prompted a change of use into a mass vaccination centre from 2020. No events have been held since then but around AU$15m has been spent refurbishing it and several press outlets in Australia reported its reopening for May 2024 with events booked to 2026. But as of going to press, the opening date was TBC. As the home of the Australian Institute of Sport, the AIS has a sport-heavy lineup, but other events are to be held here, too.

Melbourne is one of Australia’s most important markets for sport and music, and the Rod Laver Arena is at the centre of it all, as part of a sporting precinct that includes the MCG – one of the world’s largest cricket grounds. The Rod Laver Arena is most famous as the home of the Australian Open Tennis. But music is also important here, and Niall Horan sold out shows here in 2024, with Macklemore also on the agenda in May 2024 at the 14,500-cap venue. Comedy is big here, too, as Jerry Seinfeld’s two June shows at the arena underline.

“We’ve hit the ground running in 2024 – highlighted by sell-out shows by blink-182 and Rise Against (three shows), SZA (two), Theo Von (two), and Jonas Brothers.”

In Brisbane, Trish McNamara of The Brisbane Entertainment Centre says: “We have maintained our position as Queensland’s number-one indoor destination for live events, a position we’ve occupied for the past 38 years.” She adds: “We’ve hit the ground running in 2024 – highlighted by sell-out shows by blink-182 and Rise Against (three shows), SZA (two), Theo Von (two), and Jonas Brothers. The outlook is bright, with four Billie Eilish shows selling out in a blink and a stack of great content to come. We do live up to our slogan – it all happens here!”

Newcastle Entertainment Centre is in New South Wales. “As a regional venue and with a smaller capacity [compared] to capital city venues, we don’t secure many larger and higher profile touring acts,” says GM Luke Daniels. “However, of the touring acts we have secured over the last 12-18 months, ticket sales have been incredibly strong. We’ve seen multiple events sell tickets very quickly and achieve sold-out status, in some cases, in less than a day.”