Tasmania has been missing out on major international music concerts due to a lack of an appropriate venue, according to Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys.
“We know that Tasmania misses out on key music events that would draw people in from the mainland and from the rest of the State,” Mr Heroys said.
He cited acts such as Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Elton John as examples of tours that have bypassed the island state.
“These music events would increase the viability of our hotel and hospitality sector during off peak months. Visitors who travel for a concert would stay extra nights.”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff says Tasmanians “deserve to have the same opportunity as other states” and wants to fix the situation.
According to Brendan Self, Managing Director of Vandemonian, Tasmania is one of the only states often overlooked for international tours.
“We really do not have a premium, purpose-built venue adequate to host the likes of Billie Eilish, KISS, Guns n’ Roses, Post Malone or a Tame Impala,” Brendan Self said.
Self suggested that the proposed precinct and stadium, designed for a Tasmanian AFL team, could also attract major events and tourists to Hobart.
He pointed out that the stadium would increase the viability of the state’s hotel and hospitality sector during off-peak months, as visitors who travel for a concert would likely stay extra nights.
Self also argued that the stadium would be a vital piece of infrastructure for Hobart, similar to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is known as the “beating heart of Melbourne” and has played host to a wide range of events.
However, Self expressed disappointment with the current proposal put forth by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation.
“We will never have a piece of land so well positioned for our own MCG, as we do today. It is time to stop debating this and continuing to waste taxpayers’ money on MPDC ideas.
“Build it and they will come, for all forms of entertainment,” he said.
Launceston-born concert promoter Michael Chugg also expressed support for the proposed stadium, but said that it should have a capacity of 30,000 seats rather than the current proposal of 23,000.
He pointed out that Tasmania’s population is likely to grow in the coming years and that it will become easier to drive from Hobart to other parts of the state as the roads improve.
Chugg added that Elton John, who recently kicked off his Australian tour in Newcastle, had wanted to come to Tasmania but “it didn’t make sense.”
