Big stadium can be a real crowd pleaser for the coast
It’s hard to imagine there’s anything new to say about Taylor Swift. Indeed, after being lucky enough to see her Eras tour live in Sydney, I was left all but speechless. And not just because I sang so loud I lost my voice. But two days after my daughter and I shared that epic night together, like so many other mother-daughter duos, I’ve realised that Taylor taught me a lesson about the Gold Coast.
And no, this was not just in my ‘Wildest Dreams’.
Lately, much has been made about our city’s need for a new stadium, or an upgrade to the old – or both, as well as improved transportation links to all of the above.
Yet it seems every proposal is immediately shot down, with even Brisbane’s grand Gabba plans now lying in ruins.
I get it … when there are so many problems with homelessness, crime and cost-of-living pressures, why focus on building a new circus?
But the Swiftie solution shows this shortsighted thinking will prove far more costly to the future of culture in southeast Queensland, because you can’t put a price on the value of arts and culture. And, contrary to popular opinion, great stadiums can make for good neighbours.
Adding up the benefits of the Eras event, you can’t discount the draw of Taylor’s amazing talent – playing guitar, playing piano, singing, dancing and all the while communicating with every member of the audience; whether in the cheapest or most expensive seats, tickets were worth every penny.
And those pennies added up to an incredible $130m pumped into the NSW economy for just four nights of Sydney concerts.
But there was also the individual cultural contribution – the bonding of so many parent-child pairs, friends in sequenced sequins, and camaraderie with perfect strangers. The latter saw random fans awarding my daughter’s friend a trophy for best costume (she was a giant mirrorball), my daughter giving her last hair elastic to a fellow sweaty Swiftie, and, of course, swapping friendship bracelets.
Some might argue that village vibe was just for one night, but I saw it paid forward over the following days. On the trains, non-fans were chatting away to those in concert merchandise, genuinely interested in their experience, while locals in the suburb where we stayed were cheering on anyone in glittered gear.
When the whole of Accor Stadium chanted ‘Sydney’, with even Taylor herself saying that was her favourite part, you could feel the sense of civic pride. It wasn’t just Taylor’s moment, it was Sydney’s.
Now, I’m not suggesting we should build our own Accor-sized stadium here, nor that every gig will be an Eras-level event, but all concerts create a cultural and economic impact … and, for that reason, it’s a solid investment.
The Gold Coast is, still, so often criticised as a cultural wasteland, even as we prove our worth time and again – hello HOTA, hello Pacific Air Show, hello Queen/Harry Styles/Paul McCartney/Pink/Pearl Jam at Heritage Stadium (fun fact: it was Taylor promoter Frontier Touring that first christened Carrara as a concert venue in 2011 with the Foo Fighters).
But just because we’re punching above our weight doesn’t mean we can’t do even more.
In fact, four whole years ago The Bulletin revealed that the state government had held early talks with one of the world’s biggest music promoters to build a 10 to 15,000-seat stadium on the Coast.
Then-Tourism Minister Kate Jones met with Live Nation “several times” about “plans to scope out a location for a new music venue on the Gold Coast”, with the promoter saying there was enough demand in the city for live music, but nowhere sufficient to bring the acts … meaning we missed out on U2, Rod Stewart and the Dave Matthews Band to name a few.
When it comes to this future stadium, surely we’re finally ‘Ready for It’ … even if the location has proven contentious, with a protest group already against a possible Broadbeach destination.
But acoustic designs mean noise pollution has been drastically reduced, while a focus on public transportation means traffic problems are being resolved, and research shows property values increase near stadiums.
Where once entertainment venues were seen as bad neighbours and banished to the outskirts of town (see: Boondall Entertainment Centre), now their social value has been reappraised.
“Entertainment buildings are some of the most important and iconic any city can build. They become a source of pride and a hallmark for the quality of life they offer,” said US architect David Manica.
That’s exactly what we saw in Sydney. Blocks around the Swiftie stadium were absolutely activated with street performances, booming businesses and incredible transportation links. So it’s time to listen to Taylor’s lesson and invest in both our culture and our future.
As for the haters … well, ‘You Need to Calm Down’.
“It’s time to listen to Taylor’s lesson and invest in both our culture and our future.