City in tune
Forget the gig economy, music acts are injecting plenty into the Coast’s economy
The Gold Coast has endured an embarrassment of musical riches over the past five years. Recall Queen + Adam Lambert blowing the crowds away at Carrara in February 2020, just weeks before Covid shut the world down, and how it put the city on the map for hosting giant concerts.
Since 2022, we have seen Guns N Roses, Harry Styles, Paul McCartney, KISS, The Smashing Pumpkins and more draw crowds, while Pink is just weeks away from her own Gold Coast return.
Suffice to say, it’s been a great era in which to be a music fan.
Now, the city is set to host a festival of what can only be described as an eclectic line-up of superstars.
Apex Entertainment head promoter Andrew McManus will present Pandemonium on April 27 at Doug Jennings Park on the Spit featuring headline acts Blondie, Alice Cooper and Placebo.
The line-up will also include ’60s rockers Deep Purple, Wolfmother, Wheatus, Psychedelic Furs, Dead Kennedys, Gang of Four, Palaye Royale, Cosmic Psychos, Gyroscope and Petch.
The Gold Coast will be the penultimate stop for their Australian tour and the last for Blondie, which is returning after a near-20-year absence.
This will be a huge day of music for the Coast and sure to attract music fans from across the southeast.
Fortuitously, it will also be held on a Saturday rather than a Sunday, a move that will maximise convenience and ensure a bigger audience.
Not only has the Gold Coast done well by securing these gigs, we have a growing reputation as a great location to stage events – from top-notch facilities to adoring crowds.
With plans for a boutique stadium and a music hall in central Surfers Paradise both on the agenda, it is clear our city leaders see music and performances as a key plank of the city’s economy going forward, equally as important as sport.
These are areas which drive up visitation and are the cream on top of the day-to-day economic drivers of health, tourism and development.
We can get the acts, now we need more infrastructure.
WRITE TO US: Make sure to include your name, address and phone number if verification is required. Only your name and suburb will be printed. Please note we reserve the right to edit letters for reasons such as clarity and length. PRIVACY POLICY: Our privacy policy at https://preferences.news.com.au/privacy includes important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information (including to provide you with targeted advertising based on your online activities). It explains that if you do not provide us with information we have requested from you, we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. It also explains how you can access or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature.