Queensland is shaping up as Australia's event destination in 2022 as we emerge from the pandemic and floods.
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said our state will be hosting a vast range of events this year ranging from rock concerts with some of the world's biggest acts to major sporting events.
"With restrictions easing and mask mandate changes, Queenslanders can now enjoy concerts, visiting galleries to see major exhibitions, going to festivals, and seeing major sporting events," he said.
"There is something for everyone this year."
"And of course, my message is not just for Queenslanders, but for all those thinking of traveling to Queensland over the next year.
"Nothing Beats Queensland and we are definitely open for business."
The Queensland events calendar is expected to generate over $500 million in economic benefit in 2022.
Some highlights for the year include the:
- NRL Magic Round, May 13-15 – $20 million
- Cairns IRONMAN, June 12 –$10 million
- Gold Coast Marathon, July 2-3 – $32 million
- Birdsville Big Bash, July 5-7 – $15 million
- Supercars Townsville, July 8-10 – $34 million
- Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, September 1-30 – $22 million
- Nitro World Games in Brisbane, October 22 and 23 – $20 million
Queensland is also pleased to host a plethora of world class music acts including the:
- Wiggles Tour and Reunion Show in Brisbane on 30 April
- KISS End of the Road World Tour in Brisbane 6 September and 10 September in Townsville
- Snoop Dogg at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 1 November
- Justin Bieber at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 3 December and
- The Foo Fighters also at Suncorp Stadium on 10 December.
There is so much to do in 22.
Mr Hinchliffe said these events support jobs for Queenslanders and provide flow-on benefits for mum and dad businesses that have done it tough for the last two years.
And in a separate move to further boost our visitor numbers, Minister Hinchliffe announced the State Government has provided $7 million to help the three State-owned convention centres in Brisbane, Cairns and the Gold Coast to capture more of the lucrative national business events market.
"This targeted financial support is designed to reap substantial returns for the State's economy as we encourage more businesses to jump out of their virtual meetings and into Queensland," he said.
