NSW Government Announces the Lifting of the SCG Precinct Concert Cap

The NSW Government is today announcing the lifting of the archaic SCG precinct concert cap from an average of 4 events a year to 20 events a year – putting an end to these restrictions that have stifled the NSW economy and its cultural lifeblood.

These additional sixteen concerts are estimated to inject up to $120 million a year into the NSW visitor economy, which will mean billions of dollars secured for NSW over the lifetime of the stadium.

These restrictions were introduced over 20 years ago following a Rolling Stones concert at the SCG. But in a modern and global city like Sydney, these restrictions are no longer fit for purpose.

The concert cap changes have been subject to a rigorous eight-month community and stakeholder engagement process.

Of the 20 major events per year, 2 will be permitted to operate as 10-hour festivals, such as Wave Aid, between the hours of 10am and 11pm.

The new conditions have been imposed on the existing development approvals for the new stadium to manage and mitigate the impacts of noise, traffic and parking raised in consultation.

No other changes will be made to the normal 11pm concert curfew, sporting events, maximum venue capacity, or transport arrangements.

Since opening in 2022, Allianz Stadium, has hosted Bruno Mars, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams concerts. American singer-songwriter Pink is also scheduled to perform two shows in February.

Sydney’s stadium network caters to artists of all sizes, which includes Sydney’s major event venue, Accor Stadium, which has a capacity up to 100,000 for concerts.

The venue will host four Taylor Swift concerts in February, as well as major sporting events including the Bledisloe Cup and State of Origin.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said: “NSW is well and truly open for business. This is a huge win for the NSW economy, and it’s great for live music.

“For too long NSW has missed out on world class acts because of an archaic restriction that killed fun in our city and hurt the economy.

“Sydney is Australia’s only global city and now it will finally be able to host more global acts on the world stage.”

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: “After successive governments have tied up our visitor and night-time economy in onerous red tape, we are taking off the shackles, and making the most of our incredible venues.”

“This is about securing more live music for Sydney and ensuring our spot as the premier destination of the Asia Pacific.

“This year alone, we have Pink, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and The Kid Laroi performing in our stadiums in Sydney, following on from Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, Elton John, KISS and Harry Styles shows last year.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said: “We’ve listened to the feedback and lifted these restrictions on concert capacity, so that we can get the most from this venue, while including conditions on the approval that takes into account local issues like noise, traffic, parking and social impacts.

“We will continue to work with Venues NSW to get the best outcome for concert goers and the local community.”

Minister for Sport, Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper said: “We have the best stadium network in Australia and it’s time we start using our venues to their full potential.

“The red tape that has hampered our ability to host concerts at Allianz Stadium and the SCG has cost this state hundreds of millions of dollars. That red tape is officially gone and Sydney can now secure more live music than ever before.

“By unlocking the stadium, we are also unlocking millions of dollars of economic activity for our local visitor economy and surrounding businesses.”

Dion Brant, CEO, Frontier Touring said: "Frontier Touring welcomes the changes for the Allianz Stadium precinct. The ability to host more stadium concerts each year will ensure Sydney is kept forefront of any discussions with artists planning to visit Australia. As stadium concerts are proven to generate millions of dollars in revenue to local communities this decision benefits not just the artist and promoter, but countless local NSW businesses.”

Michael Coppel, Chairman, Live Nation Australasia said: "By giving Allianz Stadium the green light to hold more events, the Minns Government is taking a logical step to ensure that Sydney-siders won't miss a beat when it comes to experiencing the world's biggest musical acts and events. The move allows promoters to host even more major events, while generating even greater economic benefits for NSW."

Geoff Jones, CEO, TEG said: “TEG welcomes the NSW Government’s move to lift the concert cap at the Allianz Stadium precinct, which will help deliver even more live music for Sydney and provide further economic benefit for NSW. We are developing a pipeline of tours and shows for the period 2024 through to 2026 and it is looking extremely exciting. We are delighted to see this world-class facility hosting more globally-recognised artists for Australian fans”.