Which Aussie acts, promoters & venues broke the million-dollar mark in Q3?

For much of the Australian live sector, Q3 was a time of false hopes and delays.

But a select amount of acts, promoters and venues managed to gross over US$1 million — some well over— according to live entertainment trade Pollstar.

Midnight Oil grossed $3.13 million from 31,272 tickets, ranked #35 in Top 100 Global Tours.

Crowded House were at #87, with a $1.35 million earn from 13,600 stubs in the period.

Paul Kelly (#85) came close to the magic million, generating $926,043 with 13,688 tickets.

Lime Cordiale’s (#100) theatre run shifted 10,724 tickets that ticked over $519,817.

Eleven promoters made the Top 100, some for the first time.

Specific figures for Live Nation Australia were not available as they are rolled into the US parent’s, which topped the list with 1.2 million tickets and a gross of $110.5 million.

Frontier Touring was at #20 with 74,020 stubs which turned over $5.28 million.

Century Entertainment was placed at #32 for sales of 40,460 translating to $1.52 million.

At #33 was Marlene Zwicker & Associates with 40,460 and $1.52 million.

Bohm Presents was in the #41 spot with 26,480 tickets and $1.72 million takings.

Pace Live’s 24,434 sales and $1.29 million earnings placed it at #46, while at #52 was Roundhouse Entertainment at 18,436 tickets reporting $1.79 million.

Others were Hardware Group (#53, 17,847 tickets, $998,747), Chugg Entertainment (#57, 16,008 tickets, $711,627), Secret Sounds (#58, 15, 861 tickets, $921,819) and Token Events (#91,4,527 tickets, $173,427).

Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl had a strong quarter, at #2 in the world’s Top 50 Amphitheatres, grossing $4.15 million from 91,610 clicks.

Hope Estate Winery in Polkobin, NSW, did well, at #48 with 8,185 stubs generating $879, 580.

Two other wineries were on the Stadiums list, Mt. Duneed outside Melbourne at #19 (15,399 and $1.28 million) and Sirromet Winery in Mt. Cotton at #41 (5,823 and $585,505).

Of 10 placings in the Top 100 Theatres, the best performers were Melbourne’s Hamer Hall at #13 (18, 345 and $689,615) and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre at #18 (12,991 and $581,356).

The others were QPac Concert Hall in Brisbane at #32, The Dome in Sydney Showgrounds at #46, Canberra Theatre at #64, Empire Theatre in Toowoomba at #71, Sydney Coliseum Theatre at #73, Cairns Performing Arts Centre at #76, HOTA on the Gold Coast at #83 and Hobart’s Odeon Theatre at #89.

The Tivoli in Brisbane was the most successful of Australian clubs, at #27 after making $191,781 from 4,176 ticket sales.

The Night Quarter on the Sunshine Coast made it to #70 and Adelaide’s The Gov at #88.

Largely COVID-free New Zealand had a strong quarter, with Eccles Entertainment at #2 promoter ($16.8 million from 216,221), and SIX60 at third top tour (167,621 tix, $14.5milion) and six listings in the Stadium round-up with the 50,000 Eden Park in Auckland at #3 – a strong debut which only this year started hosting concerts.

For the northern hemisphere, Pollstar described Q3 as “a huge leap forward” with the live sector back in action, although not yet at pre-COVID levels.

But fans were out in force, many shows sold out and safety measures were working – all indicating a stronger rebound in Q4.