Music promoters back potential Gold Coast indoor entertainment arena

Reports that the Gold Coast could develop a new indoor entertainment arena have been supported by major entertainment and promotion businesses TEG and Live Nation.

Following a recent Gold Coast Bulletin report that the Gold Coast was missing out on attracting big name acts due to the city’s lack of a music venue, Live Nation and TEG, which have brought the likes of Eminem, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fleetwood Mac to Australia, each contacted the newspaper to express their support for a venue that could cater to big Australian and international acts.

In comments provided to the Bulletin, Live Nation Australasia Chief Executive Roger Field advised of the potential for a new venue, stating “the Gold Coast community has been under-served with venues of sufficient capacity to attract major touring artists to perform in the area.

“People on the Gold Coast love to see live entertainment but are forced to travel to Brisbane, or even Sydney, to be able to do so.

“At our recent Fleetwood Mac shows in Brisbane we saw nearly 15% of our audiences coming up from the Gold Coast and Northern NSW, many travelling a considerable distance to attend.

“There is clearly a demand for live music on the Gold Coast but a glaring lack of venues of appropriate capacity.

“I have no doubt that attendance numbers would increase dramatically if Gold Coast fans could attend a venue within close proximity to where they live, with many of the artists that we tour welcoming the opportunity to extend their tours to perform there.”

Advising that Live Nation would be willing to work with Gold Coast City Council and the Queensland Government to develop a 5,000 to 8,000 capacity indoor venue, Field noted “we would welcome the opportunity to work with the Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council to deliver a major new live music venue for the Gold Coast for the benefit of the community.

“We are in constant discussions with governments and councils all over the country to look at opportunities to deliver new live music venues or events, especially where there are gaps in the market like the Gold Coast.

“Recently we worked with partners in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley to open the new Fortitude Music Hall, and we look forward to more of these ventures soon.”

TEG Chief Executive Geoff Jones said the city needed a venue to fit audiences of 8,000 to 10,000 people while also strongly supporting the idea of upgrading the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach.

Jones advised “we are very supportive of the Gold Coast as a destination and we would be happy to go in and contemplate some funding arrangement or supporting them to make this happen.

“Our company is really into those sort of arrangements and we would be really happy to help both levels of government.”

He said there was a “defining moment” with TEG recently when the organisation announced Queen would be performing on both the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, adding “promoters have always had the long-term view that you couldn’t do two big shows on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane on the same tour.

“Our belief was that it was old thinking. (The Gold Coast) is the sixth biggest city in Australia with a really big catchment area.

“We put Queen on sale and we have sold out tickets on the Gold Coast and also in Brisbane.

“South east Queensland can sustain big shows. If you want an example of why the Gold Coast should have more big concerts, that’s the perfect example.”

Images: Live Nation promoted Bruno Mars 2018 tour of Australasia (top) and Geoff Jones (below).