Sydney’s major venues attract record crowds

Venues NSW has advised of a remarkable period of hosting major events with over 400,000 fans attending live sport and entertainment in just the past fortnight.

US rapper Travis Scott kicked off the summer stadium concert season last week with two memorable performances at Allianz Stadium - with his second show breaking the all-time attendance record for a concert at the venue with the 41,814 crowd surpassing the previous record set by P!nk in February.

The city’s Royal Randwick racecourse also set a new modern-day crowd record of 49,117 for the annual Everest Carnival - on the same weekend King Charles and Queen Camilla began their Australian tour.

The A-Leagues kicked off their new men’s season with a sold-out Sydney Derby at CommBank Stadium featuring new recruits Juan Mata from the Wanderers and Sydney FC’s Douglas Costa.

Following his surprise appearance at Travis Scott’s concert, Canadian singer The Weeknd brought his After Hours Til Dawn show to Accor Stadium.

Over 130,000 fans packed into Sydney’s Olympic venue for his first stadium concert in NSW, performing hits such as Starboy, Blinding Lights and I Feel It Coming.

Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo performed four shows at Qudos Bank Arena in her first visit to Australia, seen by 70,000 fans.

To cap off a blockbuster fortnight of major events in front of a combined 50,000 fans, Royal Randwick hosted Spring Champion Stakes Day and Allianz Stadium hosted K-pop superstars Stray Kids.

Major events are a significant contributor to the NSW economy, with an estimated $60 million generated from major events in the past fortnight alone.

The major events continue in Sydney in November, headlined by Coldplay who will bring their spectacular Music of The Spheres world tour to Accor Stadium over four sold-out nights.

CommBank Stadium will host Ronaldinho’s XI v Cahill’s XI in the Joga Bonito Tour followed by two Wanderers clashes, the NRL’s Pacific Championships Finals and The Kid LAROI.

The summer cricket season officially begins at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 10th November  featuring a WBBL double-header, with a standalone T20 International between Australia and Pakistan to be held just six days later.

10th November will also see four events held across Venues NSW’s stadiums, with Sydney FC men’s team at home for the first time this season, along with the Pacific Championships Finals, the SCG double-header and Coldplay’s fourth and final Sydney show.

The A-Leagues Unite Round will be held from 22nd to 24th November, bringing together six teams and their fans to Allianz Stadium, while racegoers will enjoy the Golden Eagle and the Big Dance on Melbourne Cup Day at Royal Randwick over the coming weeks.

Other upcoming events include the family-friendly Big Bash League and the New Year’s Pink Test from 3rd to 7th January at the SCG, and Juicy Fest and Luke Combs concerts at Accor Stadium.

This full calendar of sport and entertainment follows Sydney hosting Taylor Swift, P!nk, Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Elton John, Foo Fighters, KISS, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Bledisloe Cup, New Year’s Test, AFL’s Opening Round, and the NRL’s pinnacle events, State of Origin and Grand Final Sunday, in the past two years.

Commenting on this, NSW Minister for Sport, Steve Kamper noted “it’s been another memorable year of major events so far and one of our busiest fortnights, providing a massive boost to our visitor economy.”

Venues NSW Chair, David Gallop added “I can’t quite remember a time like this where we’ve had so many international superstars perform in Sydney.

“It’s a credit to the fans for attending in record numbers and to our team for securing some of the biggest names and major events on the planet.”

Images: Fans watch The Weeknd at Accor Stadium (top), Western Sydney Wanderers star Juan Mata in action during the Sydney A-League derby at CommBank Stadium (middle) and Travis Scott plays Allianz Stadium (below, credit: Live Nation/Charlie Hardy)