A proposed festival venue described as a “game changer” for the region will aim to position the Sunshine Coast as a key player in the Australian music industry.
Sunshine Coast business figures have backed a 150-hectare festival site earmarked for Coochin Creek that could provide up to $60 million of annual economic benefits and about 477 full-time jobs to the region.
If approved by the Sunshine Coast Council, Coochin Fields would be the largest festival site in Australia and would fill a huge gap in the market, attracting leading promoters and festivals looking to move into the region.
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Caloundra Chamber of Commerce CEO Brady Sullivan said the Coast should grab the opportunity with both hands.
“Investors who are passionate about building purpose-built event sites like Coochin Fields don’t present themselves very often,” Mr Sullivan said.
“We owe it to our community now and into the future to help turbocharge our community’s tourism offering and support the creative industries in our region.”
With a growing population, vast tourism industry and outdoor lifestyle, the Sunshine Coast has become a popular topic in the Australian music industry.
Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey said the region was “ripe with interest” but currently lacked dedicated infrastructure and opportunity.
“There’s always been demand to hold large-scale events on the Sunshine Coast, but promoters have expressed the lack of facility in the area and Coochin Fields solves every sore point,” Mr Comiskey said.
“Coochin Fields is a passion project of ours. It was designed to deliver world-class experiences and manage large-scale events.”
The Comiskey group has been running events across South-East Queensland for more than 12 years, including at its well-known venues Eatons Hill Hotel and Sandstone Point Hotel.
If approved the site will help cultivate a vibrant culture of music and arts on the Sunshine Coast.
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Sunshine Coast Airport general manager Kylie Ezzy said the airport had recently written a letter of support congratulating the Comiskey Group for boldly leading the region on the project.
“Coochin Fields has the potential to attract high-value domestic and international tourism into the Sunshine Coast, providing positive economic benefits across the wider region, which is also a key driver for our business,” Ms Ezzy said.
Mr Sullivan said the need for large-scale event infrastructure in South-East Queensland was stronger than ever.
“A festival venue like Coochin Fields would be a game-changer for the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“As an internationally significant economic and cultural asset the venue would deliver significant job opportunities for our community leading into the 2032 Olympics and beyond.”
Coochin Fields proposes five stages across the equivalent of 22 football fields, and will allow for 4500 car parks and 12,000 campers on-site.
The site is located in Coochin Creek about 35 minutes south of Maroochydore and just over an hour from Brisbane, with direct access to the highway.
Mr Comiskey described the venue as the “site of dreams” for growing festivals.
“We’ve had overwhelming interest in the site by prolific international and national promoters and musicians, they’re itching to get in,” Mr Comiskey said.
Frontier Touring CEO Dion Bryant, responsible for the recent Ed Sheeran and Foo Fighters concerts, has toured the proposed site and said he was “excited” about its potential.
“Established right, Coochin Fields can provide a unique venue to bring world-class festivals and major concerts to the region,” Mr Bryant said.
The calls for a new festival site come after Groovin the Moo was held on the Sunshine Coast for the first time on April 30.
The sell-out event attracted about 25,000 people, but Kawana-based sporting clubs were left reeling in the aftermath after their Western Fields – part of the Kawana Sports Precinct – were left a muddy mess.
It is understood the Coochin Fields project is currently in the pre-lodgement meeting stage with council.
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