Sydney is gearing up for the arrival of a certain Taylor Swift at Accor Stadium this February, but across town there’s been some promising news about future concerts. It was announced on January 16, 2024, that the NSW Government has lifted the cap on concerts at the SCG precinct – meaning that rather than hosting four concerts per year, the likes of the SCG and Allianz Stadium will be allowed to host as many as 20. So, who wants to come and play first?
The “archaic” cap was put in place after a particularly raucous and late-running gig from The Rolling Stones led local residents to angle for a limit to the number of concerts at the SCG and the Sydney Football Stadium, as well as noise limits and a 10:30pm curfew at Moore Park. For many years now, that’s been the status quo – no pun intended, although Status Quo did actually play Moore Park a few times back in the seventies – but now, they’re a thing of the past. It’s important to note that this isn’t a snap decision; there’s been an eight-month engagement with the local community and stakeholders to reach this decision.
A media release from Allianz Stadium was understandably jubilant at the news, stating that “in a modern and global city like Sydney, these restrictions are no longer fit for purpose”, and arguing that the additional concerts could add $120 million per year into the NSW tourism economy. Announcing the news, NSW Premier Chris Minns hit a similar note, saying that the restrictions “killed fun in our city and hurt the economy”, and declaring the raised cap as “great for live music”.
Amongst the 20 major events per year, two of them will be allowed to operate as 10-hour festivals (think 2005’s WaveAid as an example of this), with said events taking place between 10am and 11pm. It paves the way for Allianz Stadium – which has hosted the likes of Bruno Mars, Elton John, and Robbie Williams, and is set to welcome Pink in early February – to welcome even more global stars to town. Honestly, we’re all for it; the prospects of more world-famous stars rocking up in the city is never a bad idea, and it’ll save a few of us the trek out to Olympic Park for big gigs.
The extra concerts aren’t the only change for Moore Park on the horizon; back in October, it was revealed that part of the current Moore Park Golf Club will be turned into a new public park, offering a further reason to visit the area. But the biggest question is: who are you hoping to see rock Allianz Stadium next?