Welcoming the new year with a double hit of Elton John at McDonald Jones Stadium forecasts an exciting future for Newcastle and the Hunter.
It's not only good for music lovers to see a legend performing only minutes from their home, it's good for all business, a healthy boost to the pocket at the beginning of the year. A tourism bonus, when we are so used to folks leaving town over the summer holidays and enjoying their time and spending their money elsewhere (of course Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley benefit immensely from tourism dollars).
It's been said the city will enjoy an injection of $10 million spent by people attending the Elton John shows. A great deal of that comes from the 25 per cent of out-of-towners (12,000+) attending the shows. Those visitors will account for up 20,000 bed nights at accommodation in the greater Newcastle, generating a considerable trickle-down of expenditure through hotels, cafes to restaurants, linen providers service stations, and the like.
