World celebrity Elton John is heading to Newcastle this week on a yellow brick highway paved with gold for the native financial system because the revitalised metropolis cements its transformation into an occasion powerhouse.
The worldwide music icon will kick off his Farewell Yellow Brick Highway tour of Australia and New Zealand with two concert events in Newcastle on 8 and 10 January, that are anticipated to inject round $12 million into the native financial system.
His go to will launch a profitable interval for the seventh largest metropolis in Australia, with main occasions set to draw lots of of hundreds of spectators to Newcastle, present international publicity and ship an financial increase value tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.
Occasions embrace an prolonged run of the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Come From Away on the historic Civic Theatre in February, the season-opening race of the Supercars Championship on March 10-12 and Australia’s largest annual browsing competition, Surfest, which attracts among the world’s prime surfers and can culminate in an exhilarating finals showdown on 25-26 March.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes stated previously decade, Newcastle has been remodeled into an progressive international metropolis, capturing the eye of traders, occasion promoters and guests from around the globe.
“We’re a metropolis on the rise, with greater than $1.85 billion in new developments authorized in Newcastle over the last monetary 12 months and file ranges of personal funding delivering leisure, tourism and hospitality choices alongside main residential and retail developments,” Cr Nelmes stated.
“Newcastle’s revitalisation has pushed our burgeoning occasions and tourism financial system, which continues to develop off the again of a strategic focus and funding by Metropolis of Newcastle.
“Occasions ship each an instantaneous and ongoing profit for the group and financial system, with larger visitation, funding and liveability outcomes. Ongoing funding in occasions and tourism is integral to constructing a thriving, various and strong financial system.”
Newcastle’s file of internet hosting nationwide and worldwide occasions stretches again to 1985 when Surfest was launched because the richest skilled browsing competitors on the earth.
However its evolution as an occasions metropolis shifted gears when Metropolis of Newcastle and the NSW Authorities helped safe the Supercars Newcastle 500 for 5 years from 2017.
Since then, it has opened up additional alternatives to host and ship nationwide and worldwide occasions on a major scale, together with the 2018 A-League grand closing, 2020 SAANZAR Rugby Championship and the 2021 World Surf League Championship Tour occasion.
This was capped off final 12 months with the staging of Van Gogh Alive, which noticed 84,000 individuals flock to town to expertise the immersive, multi-sensory show of the painter’s iconic artworks. Newcastle was the primary regional metropolis in Australia to host the occasion.
Promoter Andrew Kay stated he would return to town with extra main occasions following the success of the 2022 season.
“We had been completely thrilled by the reception we obtained in Newcastle and the Hunter. With over 84,000 tickets bought in simply 5 weeks, the area has proven its urge for food and appreciation for high quality occasions,” Mr Kay stated.
“Van Gogh Alive was welcomed by the whole group and companies with whom we partnered, together with the Metropolis of Newcastle. We shall be again with extra main occasions.”
Venues NSW and McDonald Jones Stadium CEO Kerrie Mather was equally constructive about Newcastle’s means to host main occasions.
“The stage is ready for an historic week in Newcastle when the one-and-only Elton John involves city for the very first, and closing, time,” Ms Mather stated.
“It’s extremely thrilling to have Elton John kick off his farewell tour of Australia and New Zealand in Newcastle, and we are able to’t wait to see McDonald Jones Stadium come alive throughout his two reveals that should be seen stay.
“Elton John at McDonald Jones Stadium would be the excellent approach to have a good time the beginning of the brand new 12 months and is only a style of the main occasions to stay up for over the approaching 12 months.”
Worldwide lodge manufacturers Crystalbrook and QT have recognised Newcastle’s increasing tourism attraction, investing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to open five-star motels within the metropolis, whereas the upcoming enlargement of Newcastle Airport will pave the best way for extra worldwide occasions.
“From 2024 our expanded terminal can have the power to welcome lots of of hundreds of worldwide passengers yearly on account of airfield upgrades that can cater to bigger plane,” Newcastle Airport CEO Dr Peter Cock stated.
“This may allow direct flights between Newcastle and locations in Asia, the Center East and the Americas.
“Newcastle’s future as a global tourism and main occasions vacation spot is brilliant, and the Federal Authorities’s $55 million funding in the direction of the enlargement of Newcastle Airport’s terminal and $66 million in the direction of the airfield improve shall be instrumental in transitioning Newcastle from a thriving regional centre to an rising international metropolis.
“Mixed with the arrival of two new luxurious motels, Newcastle’s attraction as a number vacation spot for large-scale worldwide occasions is changing into much more enticing.”
Background
- Previous to COVID-19, Newcastle’s tourism business contributed $1 billion to the native financial system annually, with greater than 5 million worldwide and home travellers visiting in 2019.
- Metropolis of Newcastle labored with Venues NSW to safe the historic Elton John concert events for Newcastle as a part of a Main Occasions Partnership.
- This partnership additionally noticed McDonald Jones Stadium (dwelling of the Newcastle Knights and Newcastle Jets) host a spherical of the 2022 FOX Australian Supercross Championship, whereas the Newcastle Leisure Centre hosted a sold-out worldwide netball fixture between Australia and England.
- Elton John’s two concert events will appeal to greater than 30,000 guests from outdoors the Newcastle LGA, together with over 2500 interstate guests and greater than 100 worldwide guests. It has an estimated financial influence of $10 million – $12 million.
- The Supercross had an viewers of greater than 15,000 individuals with over 13,000 from outdoors the Newcastle LGA and virtually 500 interstate guests, with an estimated financial influence of $3 million.
- Venues NSW estimated that occasions at each McDonald Jones Stadium and Newcastle Leisure Centre will drive $50 million {dollars} of financial influence into the Newcastle LGA within the 2022/23 monetary 12 months.
- Van Gogh Alive attracted 84,000 guests over 5 weeks, which eclipsed its attendance totals throughout its season in Canberra.
- The World Surf League’s 2021 Championship Tour occasion in Newcastle had an estimated good thing about greater than $15 million to the native financial system, whereas additionally showcasing Newcastle to a worldwide viewers of greater than 10 million viewers.
- The 2018 A-League grand closing delivered an estimated $1.7 million windfall in customer expenditure over the weekend.
- The 2017 Matildas v Brazil match in Newcastle attracted an Australian crowd file for a ladies’s soccer match of just about 17,000 individuals and generated half 1,000,000 {dollars} for town through 330 mattress nights.
- Every Supercars Newcastle 500 occasion delivers a median $36.2 million in financial output and creates 149 jobs.
- The TV viewers for Newcastle 500 occasion in 2017 peaked at greater than 1.8 million viewers with a median of 1.3 million individuals tuning in to the three-day occasion.