Aussie venues among world’s top-grossing
Australian venues are among the best performing in the world, according to two reports.
Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena and Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena are the two most successful.
They both made Billboard’s Top 10 highest-grossing arenas.
The 21,000 capacity Qudos Bank Arena was rated at #4 with a 12-month gross of US$81.1 million. Rod Laver Arena, which holds 16,820, took in $66 million.
Also on that prestigious list, topped by Madison Square Gardens in New York, were London’s O2 Arena, the Los Angeles Forum and Manchester Arena.
The two also fared well in Pollstar’s Q3 performance rating.
Rod Laver Arena was at #32 after selling 377,007 in the three month period and taking in $32,654,194.
Qudos Bank Arena was at #43 after 308,278 patrons walked through the turnstiles and grossed $32,101,03.
Both had their numbers boosted by Pink, the second-biggest global tour of the year after Ed Sheeran.
She grossed $20.2 million over 11 shows at Rod Laver Arena and $18.6 million over nine concerts at Qudos Bank Arena.
Also on the Pollstar arena list were at #77 RAC Arena Perth, (195,911 tickets, $18,803,105 takings), at #80 Brisbane Entertainment Centre (195,911 and 17,687,771) and at #117,Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (123,610 and $7,801,010).
Said one promoter to TMN, “Their arena experiences are great, very high-tech and their security measures are strict enough so everyone feels safe and has a good time.
“But the success of these venues has much to d with the fact that the live scene in Australia is so buoyant.
“The quality of the acts coming through is amazing, and Australian audiences are conditioned to going to concerts.
“A major trend has been that Aussie acts are leaping to arena level much quicker than before – like 5 Seconds of Summer and Flume – and there are people in the industry who can facilitate these acts to make that jump.”
The Pollstar Q3 analysis listed five Aussies in its Top 200 theatres.
They were Melbourne’s Hamer Hall at #67 with a three-month attendance of 98,436 and $5,504,806 turnover.
Sydney State Theatre slid in at #114 with 49,595 stubs generating $1,980,161.
Not far behind at #116 was the Enmore Theatre, also in Sydney, grossing 2,698,521 with a patron count of 47,527.
At #161 was the Palais in Melbourne, drawing 34,349 and reporting $2,530,572.
The $2,103,186 takings by Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House and a 28,348 attendance put it at $175.
There were two in the top amphitheatre venues – Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne with #11 (52,003 and $9,284,734) and Brisbane Riverstage at #56 (45,911 and $2,934,832).
There were three in the Top 200 clubs, all from Melbourne.
These were the Corner Hotel maintaining its long-time lead at #17 (73,403 and $2,018,027), The Forum at #68 (35,409 and $1,687,42) and the Northcote Social Club at #87 (26,460 and $472,228).
The Top 100 festival sites list has seen more Australian showings in recent years, and currently has six appearances.
Leading the Aussie at #30 was the Broadbeach CBD on the Gold Coast (20,000 and $1,268,442), with the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm outside Byron Bay at #41 (105,385 and $11,121,625), and Melbourne Cricket Grounds at #57 (80, 708 and $8,885,887).
ANZ Stadium in Sydney’s Olympic Park was at #70 (70,891 and $7,911,665), Optus Stadium in Perth’s Burswood at #86 (60,500 and$6,407,089) and Mt. Duneed Estate in Geelong, Victoria at #100 (51,997 and $2,411,153).