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Victoria\u2019s major events delivered an almost A$1bn (\u00a3545m\/\u20ac618m\/$666m ) boost to the Australian state\u2019s economy in the second half of 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Across 2022, a record year of major events attracted 6.9 million attendees to sports, music, arts and cultural events in Victoria.<\/p>\n
A packed schedule of events last year also saw hotels boasting an occupancy average of 67%, peaking at 93.7% on the night of a Billy Joel concert. English Premier League team Manchester United also attracted 150,000 people across two matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in July.<\/p>\n
New Zealand and Australian rugby fans also filled out Marvel Stadium for the sold-out return of the Bledisloe Cup.<\/p>\n
The world-first Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, The Picasso Century, also saw hundreds of thousands of people visit the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria). The latest exhibition, Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse is continuing to draw crowds.<\/p>\n
Major music event Always Live saw more than 60 acts play across large and small venues in Victoria. The town of Mildura hosted a Kings of Leon concert in front of more than 10,000 fans, while Billy Joel entertained 76,000 at the MCG.<\/p>\n
Australia hosted the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup, with Geelong\u2019s GMHBA Stadium and the MCG utilised by organisers. Over 90,000 fans filled up the MCG to watch India v Pakistan. The state\u2019s golf courses also hosted the first combined men\u2019s and women\u2019s Australian Open golf tournament in front of tens of thousands of spectators.<\/p>\n
The busy six-month schedule generated over A$980m in economic impact and the latest figures show the visitor economy in Victoria has reached A$26.5bn and is back to 84% of pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said: \u201cVictoria is the home of major events and these blockbuster sporting and cultural events have delivered an almost billion-dollar boost to our economy in the last half of 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cMajor events deliver enormous value for Victoria by boosting local businesses and supporting jobs \u2013 and we\u2019re set for another huge year in 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n
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