But here we are, smoothing a mother of pearl spoonful of wildly expensive salt cured sturgeon roe onto the back of our hands. Waiting for the glistening black globs to hit room temperature, fistbumping and slurping them up with abandon, clocking our tablemates with glee.
And they’re not just there for the show. They're crashing at hotels and Airbnbs, dining like royalty, shopping up a storm, and making the city their playground. It's not just a short-term cash injection for local businesses; it's an effect that lingers, leaving a positive mark that stretches way beyond the final encore.
February 9, 10
February 13
February 16, 17
February 20
February 23, 24
February 27
March 1, 2
March 12, 13
March 16
March 22, 23
"SWIFTONOMICS"
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Maybe washing it down with a shooter of frost bitten vodka or twinkling champagne.
It's a pretty dreary world out there— that hard won freedom after the lockdown years has been met with rising rent prices, grocery prices and petrol prices.
Succession’s potent brand of unattainable luxury—and ludicrously capacious bags—is out of reach for most, but the noise around quiet luxury inspired by the HBO hit didn’t need to be so exclusive.
The 2023 taste-based cost indulgence paradox is the lipstick effect for a new age. And it’s this just-a-taste mentality that’s changing the way we eat, drink, and indulge. From fine diners doing luxe happy hour service for the first time—to delicacies served at democratic prices.
Right now, share plates and chef’s menus are a pricey commitment—instead snacks reign supreme and we like ‘em fancy too. For example, a restaurant delivering an experimental 10-course snack flight featuring bite-size portions of Paroo red kangaroo tartare and Westholme Wagyu tri-tip with bone marrow sauce. The rationale is, of course, why stick to one dish, when you could sample more for less.
This new army of “bite size ballers” doesn’t want to knock back $6 schooners just because life got super spenny in 2023—at least, not every day. They want to sample the best of the best and as much as they can get and all on a dime too if they can manage it.
No, we can’t all book a night at The Ritz, or even splash out on a flashy dinner every week, instead we’re searching for mere morsels of the experience—whether that is a little hunk of Beluga, a lunchtime lobster deal, a mini Martini at a top bar, or maybe even a quick dip at the swim-up bar at a five-star hotel pool.
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Culture Curve
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This is a story of caviar bumps and the cost of living crisis—a very unlikely pairing and definitely
not the combo we had on our bingo card for 2023.
[noun] the cultural phenomenon where music fans spend big to travel the globe to see their favourite artists perform; the ultimate sonic sojourn for music lovers who turn concerts into global adventures.
FEB 2024
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2024 tours
The Sound Trekker
Leilani Vakaahi
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SOUTH
GATE
A
DOOR
GA 4
ROW
P 23
SEAT
FIRST RELEASE GA
[noun]
the ultimate sonic sojourn for music lovers who turn concerts into global adventures.
Governments and tourism bodies are also diving headfirst into the
concert and festival wave, turning up the volume on tourism
dollars. Rumours have the WA Government spending
$10M to lure Coldplay to Perth. The original one show
at Optus Stadium snowballed into a double feature,
shifting a jaw-dropping 140,000 tickets. One third
of those fans flew into Perth from interstate and
abroad, helping to generate nearly $80M for
the WA economy.
The impact of concerts on travel and tourism
will continue to thrive in 2024 as we rebound
against the lost years and prioritise stories
over ‘stuff’. With an overwhelming 70 percent
of individuals saying they are more likely to
travel to a concert outside their own town and
40 percent agreeing that they would travel for a
concert as an excuse to visit a new place, we’re set
on making the most of experiences replicating an era
of once-in-a-lifetime festivals, concerts and gigs.
In 2024, music is not just a backdrop; it's a dynamic force
steering a new era of exploration, leaving us to revel in the
echoes of a global concert revolution. Sound Trek has become
more than a trend; it's a cultural movement and an anthem of our time.
Sydney
Newcastle
Brisbane
Gold Coast
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Melbourne
Sydney
Townsville
P!nk | Summer Carnival Tour
across the globe, there’s no denying the sheer chokehold music has cast over the world.
February 9 - March 23, 2024
February 16
February 17
February 18
February 23
February 24
February 25
February 26
March 2, 3, 4
March 7, 8, 9
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Singapore
Singapore
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour
February 16 - March 9, 2024
Dates
Dropping
Soon
Melbourne
Perth
Adelaide
Sydney
Gold Coast
Auckland
The Kid LAROI | The First Time Tour
October, 2024 [TBC]
February 8, 9
February 11
February 13, 14
February 16, 17
February 19, 20, 21
February 23, 24
February 26, 27, 29
March 2
March 4
Perth
Adelaide
Melbourne
Sydney
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Auckland
Christchurch
Blink 182 | One More Time Tour
February 8 - March 4, 2024
January 26, 27, 30, 31
October 30, 31
November 2, 3
November 6, 7, 9, 10
November 13, 14, 15, 16
Singapore
Melbourne
Melbourne
Sydney
Auckland
Coldplay | Music Of The Spheres Tour
January 26 - November 16, 2024
When powerhouses like Taylor Swift or Beyoncé step into the limelight on their city-hopping concert tours, it's not just about the hardcore fan base losing their minds. The financial aftershocks of these star-studded extravaganzas extend far past the stage, leaving a lasting mark on the local economy. Enter "Swiftonomics," a term birthed from Taylor Swift's colossal economic impact. Case in point: the impact of Taylor Swift's dual July gigs in Denver in 2023 showed they raked in a cool $140 million for the state's GDP. Swifties weren’t just there for the tunes; they dropped an average of $1,327—and that's cash raining down on tickets, travel, merch, accommodation and dining.
The top 100 tours of 2023, which included Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour and Harry Styles’ Love On Tour, saw a 46 per cent jump in revenue from the previous year, bringing in US $9.17 billion.
Source: Urban List Sound Trek Survey, Jan 2024 n~4,240
LIFE IN...
[WHERE TO EAT, STAY & PLAY]
SYDNEY
With a population of over 5 million and a laser focus on nightlife and the night time economy, Sydney is a city that's eager to prove itself on the world's stage, one mega stadium show at a time.
I wanted to create a space where Swifties can come together through good food, and celebrate the lead up to the concert,” she says. “Originally this five-part series was supposed to be a one-off themed bottomless brunch, but the first brunch sold out almost instantly, so we just kept adding more and more dates to ensure that no one missed out.
"
"
Giulia Treuner,
Harry's by Giuls restaurant owner
While Sydney stadiums barter for Beyonce's Renaissance Tour, Taylor Swift added an extra Eras show, and it's a no-brainer that any major act heading Down Under, from Coldplay to Pink, will be doing time in Australia's sparkliest city. The run-off of tour tourism for Sydney businesses, who might typically ride the wave of Mardi Gras to Vivid and the summer season, is already being felt.
[WHERE TO EAT, STAY & PLAY]
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MELBOURNE
Melbourne is inarguably Australia’s cultural capital and if you think there’s a buzz about town any other day, you’ll see this city is nothing short of electric when big tours kick off and stadiums flick the lights on.
The Taylor Swift weekend will rival some of the biggest weeks we see in Melbourne. Our forward bookings for city venues Chin Chin and Yakimono are incredibly strong and based on the current trends, we would expect to be fully booked well in advance of the concert dates. Following on from the tennis and ahead of the Grand Prix, this is a great boon for Melbourne and we’re delighted to be a part of it.
"
"
Chris Lucas,
Founder LUCAS Restaurants
Swifties bought their tickets to The Eras tour first, and soon after came the flurry of restaurant bookings for before and after the show. You’ll be hard-placed to find a seat at the table come the third weekend of February, however, those who did might just be lucky enough to try Tay Tay’s favourite cocktail (It’s the French Blonde).
NEW ZEALAND
With a population of 1.6 million, Auckland has a long history of hosting international music acts. Last year, Live Nation confirmed Coldplay will perform three concerts at Auckland's Eden Park this November—breaking the record as the first artist or act to play three nights in the venue’s 123-year history.
Bookings went crazy for Guns and Roses and we were pretty much fully booked. When Ed Sheeran was in town, we had 70 bookings which for a Friday is a huge increase.
"
"
Chloe Taylor,
The Bridgman owner
In April 2021, Eden Park played host to the first-ever music concert in its history when Six60 played a sold-out show to a crowd of 60,000. Owner of nearby bar and restaurant The Bridgman, Chloe Taylor says that music tours from big international acts have had a huge impact on her small, independent business.
GLOBAL
Known for its fine wines, lush rolling hills and charming French culture, Bordeaux is a city that also loves to play home to a slew of talented local and international acts that draw crowds from all over the planet every year.
When these big name events come to town, we’ll always open early at 10am instead of 12pm or 3pm as normal, knowing we’ll be filled to capacity all day and all night just like the rest of the town.
"
"
Blair Connor,
owner of Bordeaux bar
The Duck and Dog
The Fête de la Musique transforms Bordeaux every June, drawing massive crowds with its summer solstice celebrations. Streets buzz with people moving from bars and restaurants, taking advantage of relaxed licensing laws. The Dog and Duck, near a key tram line, welcomes throngs of international visitors eager to experience the city's vibrant atmosphere.
DATES DROPPING SOON!
IN a time where passport stamps and concert tickets are worn as badges of honour
and where a single artist has enough
Crowd pull to transform economies
Domestic and international travel is now fuelled not by tourist traps or historical landmarks, but by the pulse of bass drops, guitar riffs, and the infectious energy of live performances that transcend countries and cultures. Fearless travellers are chasing beats and crossing borders, taking sonic pilgrimages to quench an insatiable thirst for live tunes further fuelled by TikTok and Instagram.
The cultural phenomenon of Sound Trek is two fold; it’s a sound bite of a post-
pandemic era where artists have turned to an influx of live performances to
counteract dwindling royalties from streaming services such as Spotify and
it’s a phenomenon where consumers are throwing their cold hard cash at
rising concert tickets after years of cancelled or postponed acts thanks
to Covid-19. It’s revenge spending like we’ve never seen before.
This year, The Kid LAROI will charge through his biggest
Australian shows to date, Blink-182 and P!nk will play at
major stadiums across the country including pit stops
outside the capitals like Newcastle and Townsville,
Coldplay has added more shows to its Down Under
leg due to incredible demand and of course, we’ll
witness history being made as Taylor Swift
triumphs the Asia Pacific performing at 13 sold-
out shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore.
As these
cities gear up for a
year of mosh pits and encores,
it’s poised that Taylor Swift’s rhinestone-
studded shows alone will see a staggering economic injection of over $140 million.
As the hype builds up for a concert, the local business scene gets hit with a serious surge. Restaurants, bars, hotels, and shops buzz with activity, thanks to a noticeable spike in fans stepping through the doors and spending.
2024 tours
February 9, 10
February 13
February 16, 17
February 20
February 23, 24
February 27
March 1, 2
March 12, 13
March 16
March 22, 23
Sydney
Newcastle
Brisbane
Gold Coast
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Melbourne
Sydney
Townsville
P!nk | Summer Carnival Tour
February 9 - March 23, 2024
Dates
Dropping
Soon
Melbourne
Perth
Adelaide
Sydney
Gold Coast
Auckland
The Kid LAROI | The First Time Tour
October, 2024
DATES DROPPING SOON!
February 8, 9
February 11
February 13, 14
February 16, 17
February 19, 20, 21
February 23, 24
February 26, 27, 29
March 2
March 4
Perth
Adelaide
Melbourne
Sydney
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Auckland
Christchurch
Blink 182 | One More Time Tour
February 8 - March 4, 2024
January 26, 27, 30, 31
October 30, 31
November 2, 3
November 6, 7, 9, 10
November 13, 14, 15, 16
Singapore
Melbourne
Melbourne
Sydney
Auckland
Coldplay | Music Of The
Spheres Tour
January 26 - November 16, 2024
[WHERE TO EAT, STAY & PLAY]
"SWIFTONOMICS"
SYDNEY
MELBOURNE
NEW ZEALAND
GLOBAL
Melbourne is inarguably Australia’s cultural capital and if you think there’s a buzz about town any other day, you’ll see this city is nothing short of electric when big tours kick off and stadiums flick the lights on.
THE TAYLOR SWIFT WEEKEND WILL RIVAL SOME OF THE BIGGEST WEEKS WE SEE IN MELBOURNE. OUR FORWARD BOOKINGS FOR CITY VENUES CHIN CHIN AND YAKIMONO ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG AND BASED ON THE CURRENT TRENDS, WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE FULLY BOOKED WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE CONCERT DATES. FOLLOWING ON FROM THE TENNIS AND AHEAD OF THE GRAND PRIX, THIS IS A GREAT BOON FOR MELBOURNE AND WE’RE DELIGHTED TO BE A PART OF IT.
"
"
Chris Lucas,
Founder LUCAS Restaurants
Swifties bought their tickets to The Eras tour first, and soon after came the flurry of restaurant bookings for before and after the show. You’ll be hard-placed to find a seat at the table come the third weekend of February, however, those who did might just be lucky enough to try Tay Tay’s favourite cocktail (It’s the French Blonde).
With a population of 1.6 million, Auckland has a long history of hosting international music acts. Last year, Live Nation confirmed Coldplay will perform three concerts at Auckland's Eden Park this November—breaking the record as the first artist or act to play three nights in the venue’s 123-year history.
BOOKINGS WENT CRAZY FOR GUNS AND ROSES AND WE WERE PRETTY MUCH FULLY BOOKED. WHEN ED SHEERAN WAS IN TOWN, WE HAD 70 BOOKINGS WHICH FOR A FRIDAY IS A HUGE INCREASE.
"
"
Chloe Taylor,
The Bridgman owner
In April 2021, Eden Park played host to the first-ever music concert in its history when Six60 played a sold-out show to a crowd of 60,000. Owner of nearby bar and restaurant The Bridgman, Chloe Taylor says that music tours from big international acts have had a huge impact on her small, independent business.
Known for its fine wines, lush rolling hills and charming French culture, Bordeaux is a city that also loves to play home to a slew of talented local and international acts that draw crowds from all over the planet every year.
WHEN THESE BIG NAME EVENTS COME TO TOWN, WE’LL ALWAYS OPEN EARLY AT 10AM INSTEAD OF 12PM OR 3PM AS NORMAL, KNOWING WE’LL BE FILLED TO CAPACITY ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE TOWN.
"
"
Blair Connor,
owner of Bordeaux bar
The Duck and Dog
The Fête de la Musique transforms Bordeaux every June, drawing massive crowds with its summer solstice celebrations. Streets buzz with people moving from bars and restaurants, taking advantage of relaxed licensing laws. The Dog and Duck, near a key tram line, welcomes throngs of international visitors eager to experience the city's vibrant atmosphere.
Previously on
The Sound Trekker
Leilani Vakaahi
SYDNEY
MELBOURNE
NEW ZEALAND
GLOBAL
SYDNEY
MELBOURNE
NEW ZEALAND
GLOBAL
SYDNEY
MELBOURNE
NEW ZEALAND
GLOBAL
