Perth’s mega kick start to summer with the Ashes opener and AC/DC’s first local concert in a decade

Perth will kick-start summer with a bumper list of events, including the Ashes opener and AC/DC’s first local concert in a decade, with hospitality bosses preparing for a pre-Christmas windfall. Monday’s announcement of Angus Young’s Australian rock legend’s five city tour sparked a frenzy of interest from fans and giving hopes to an influx of locals and visitors spending in hotels, pubs and restaurants Burswood’s Optus Stadium will be central to the action, hosting The West Test against England from November 21 — the first time Australia’s greatest rivals have played a test at the stadium. Days after the tests wraps up, AC/DC will rock out in front of an expected sell out crowd, while in the weeks before Optus will also host American heavy metal icons Metallica. The first week of December will also see international rapper Kendrick Lamar head to Perth for the Spilt Milk festival at Claremont Showground on December 7. Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods big concerts at Optus delivered strong returns for local tourism and hospitality operators. “With AC/DC’s enormous global following and a decade since their last Perth performance, we expect to see thousands of regional, interstate and even international fans travelling to WA for the concert, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest music events of the year,” he said. “We know from past experience that major music events like this act as a catalyst for travel. We expect there will be plenty of visitors who will be booking overnight stays and enjoying everything from restaurants and bars to cultural attractions and day tours. “People from regional WA consistently attend Perth-based events, and concert weekends often drive spikes in accommodation and hospitality demand from areas such as Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. “We also anticipate international visitation, particularly from markets like Singapore, where Perth remains an attractive short-haul destination. With AC/DC’s global fanbase, the opportunity to attend a bucket-list concert and enjoy a WA holiday will appeal to many.” Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna said the venue was preparing for its biggest ever summer, pointing also to the Scorchers’ season kicking off in mid-December. “Events like these provide many opportunities for employment for local people of all ages and skills. Since opening, the stadium has employed and trained more than 15,000 casual team members,” he said. “We will roster an average exceeding 1600 people on each major event day, in customer service, kitchens, cooking, serving, cleaning, providing security, offering first aid, moving stock and generally ensuring the fans who will come to Optus Stadium have a fantastic time.” Prices for AC/DC tickets — which go on sale on Thursday via Ticketek — were revealed on Monday, starting at $132 for B-reserve, all the way up to $400 for A-reserve seating. A ten-day window before the band plays its last show of the tour in Brisbane has also added hopes a second concert may be added in Perth. It comes after The West Australian revealed the opening day of The West Test was set to sell-out even before general public tickets were available, with 57,000 tickets sold for the five-day match. The bumper sales meant the crowd was on track to smash Perth’s all-time Test attendance record of 103,440 from the 2006-07 Ashes match, where Australia sealed a series victory. England’s rabid Barmy Army supporters were are among those to snap up tickets during the pre-sale period while 90 per cent of three-day corporate hospitality packages had also been booked. The series opener will again be accompanied by The West Test Fest in Burswood. Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said the scheduled events meant Optus would come alive at the start of summer “Hosting AC/DC and cricket’s biggest rivalry in the opening match of the Ashes in the space of two weeks is a massive opportunity for tourism in Western Australia,” he said.

Perth’s mega kick start to summer with the Ashes opener and AC/DC’s first local concert in a decade

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