Australia: Dua Lipa, Bankwest Stadium, WOMAD NZ

Live Nation added second shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland for Dua Lipa’s 2022 “Future Nostalgia Tour” after dates sold out immediately when tickets hit the market Sept. 22.

The adds are at Auckland’s 12,000-capacity Spark Arena November 3, Sydney’s 21,000-capacity Qudos Bank Arena November 9 and Melbourne’s 15,400-seat Rod Laver Arena Nov. 12.

The Australasian dates now number ten – with its strong demand hailed by other promoters as sending a strong signal to other A-1 list acts.

Paul Dainty of TEG Dainty, with Guns N’Roses and Kings of Leon on the slate, told the West Australian: “Acts are queuing up to come down to Australia because it’s one of the premier countries to tour on the global circuit. We’re going to be spoilt.”

Western Sydney’s 30,000 Bankwest Stadium will rebadge to CommBank Stadium effective Oct. 1. Bankwest, a division of CommBank, signed a seven-year-deal for the inaugural naming rights for a reported A$17 million (US$12.3 million) in 2019.

The new seven year deal with Venues NSW, which operates the A$360 million ($262. 1 million) venue for the New South Wales government, is part of a larger commitment by CommBank to the predominantly industrial Western Sydney.

It includes a A$120,000 ($87,400) investment to help small businesses in the area emerge from a lockdown they were hardest hit by, and work with Chamber Alliance of Western Sydney to market their activities in the lead up to Christmas. 

Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn called the stadium “a valuable facility in providing economic opportunities to the area and will continue to be an important part of the community, particularly through recovery as the local areas and NSW starts to reopen.”

After a year’s hiatus, WOMAD NZ returns March 18-20 to TSB Bowl and Brooklands Park in New Plymouth, its home for the past 18 years.

First acts were Fat Freddy’s Drop’s return to the festival in 12 years, R&B performer Deva Mahal, Indian themed Shades of Shakti and jazz-hip-hop group Avantdale Bowling Club.

In May WOMAD was green lighted for a NZ $1.9 million ($1.33 million) underwrite, with the New Plymouth District Council and WOMAD International finalizing a five year deal. It kept the festival at the site and for Taranaki Arts Festival Trust to continue as producing.

When one of Australia’s most high profile sporting events, the Australian Football League’s Sept. 25 grand final had to move from the Melbourne Cricket Ground to COVID-free Perth, it gave a number of the city’s acts valuable exposure in these non-touring times.

Almost 2 million tuned in for the pre-game entertainment before a crowd of 60,000 at Optus Stadium with band Eskimo Joe, blues players John Butler and Abbe May, First Nations rapper Baker Boy and singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly and Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse.

Multi-platinum rock band Birds of Tokyo teamed up with the WA Symphony Orchestra for half-time, by which time the viewing audience had swelled to 3.9 million, making it the most watched show in 2021.

Acts were booked through Mushroom Group. Its chief executive Matt Gudinski said, “It’s been a tough time for live music so it’s fantastic to have the AFL continue their tradition of supporting homegrown artists.  

“One of my dad’s (the late Michael Gudinski) proudest achievements was producing the AFL grand final entertainment and he would (have been) very excited to see the grand final feature all Australian talent again.”