There’s still hope for a new arena in Brisbane.
Earlier in the week, Queensland premier David Crisafulli scrapped the proposed blueprint for a new build in Roma Steet, following a review into venues, infrastructure and transport, in the leadup to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Brisbane needs a world-class arena, full stop,” he said during a presentation to media. “The government’s decision not to proceed with the arena as part of the Games plan does not mean the death of the Brisbane arena, far from it.”
Crisafulli went on to float a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to construct an arena “for the fraction of cost to taxpayers”.
The death knell hasn’t sounded. A spokesperson for Live Nation, which had previously pitched a new “world-class” concerts and sports space in the city’s central business district, says those ambitions haven’t changed.
“Live Nation and our consortium partners welcome the Crisafulli Government’s announcement regarding the Olympics delivery plan,” reads a statement from LN, seen by The Music Network.
“We support the inclusion of a world-class arena in Brisbane’s CBD and welcome the opportunity to partner with the Government to ensure its delivery.”
A new venue, a new location, and a new name. Moving away from Roma Street, LN’s new proposals would bring into play Woolloongabba’s former GoPrint site, for a new build above the yet-to-open underground station, part of the Cross River Rail development.
As previously reported, Live Nation had presented the project in a partnership with US-based global venue development and investment company Oak View Group and Australian investor, developer, and manager of public infrastructure Plenary Group.
Should LN pull it off, the concerts giant would operate venues at three different classes in the future Olympic city, including the Fortitude Music Hall (3,300 capacity) and the Triffid (800 capacity). On the other side of the Tasman, Live Nation APAC’s current portfolio of venues includes the 12,000 capacity Spark Arena in Auckland.
“Our proposal offers a commercial model that significantly minimises government investment and eliminates taxpayer risk,” reads the LN update. “With Live Nation and its partners leading the way, the Brisbane arena is poised to become a premier entertainment destination, attracting global tours and driving economic growth for decades beyond the Olympics.”
HAL Architects has drawn up a vision for a unified Gabba Olympic Park that combines a 17,000 Brisbane Arena with a new 55,000-seat stadium, a setup that would connect with a new footbridge across the SouthEast freeway, directly linking the precinct with Southbank and the CBD.
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Before premier Crisafulli pulled support for the Brisbane Live facility on Roma Street, a short stroll from King George Square and Queen Street Mall, and in sight of Suncorp Stadium, Anthony Albanese’s federal government had pledged billions of dollars from the public coffers. “We want it to happen, absolutely we do”, he told Brisbane’s B105 this week. The state capital “does need an indoor arena so that you can have acts. It’s about leaving a legacy”.
Brisbane Live Arena was the brainchild of Harvey Lister, chairman and chief executive of Brisbane-based ASM Global Asia Pacific (formerly AEG Ogden), which had an exclusive early operator engagement agreement with state government to develop the project’s business case.
The Sunshine State capital’s existing arena, the 13,500-capacity Brisbane Entertainment Centre, is operated by ASM Global and regularly appears at or near the top of Billboard’s global list of arenas with a capacity north of 10,000.
The venue does have its detractors. Its age – the venue next year celebrates its 40th anniversary – is one. But for locals, the 16km distance to Boondall from the heart of town is the clincher.
ASM Global has yet to respond to the Games Authority’s 100-day review, published Tuesday.
