Bruno Mars has announced a pair of Australian shows for this October to launch the newly-constructed Allianz Stadium in the Moore Park area of Sydney.
Mars will perform concerts at the venue on October 14 and 15. They will mark his first Australian shows since his 2018, when he toured in support of his most recent solo album, ’24K Magic’. Tickets will go on sale next Thursday (August 11) at 1pm, with a Telstra Plus pre-sale commencing a few days earlier next Monday (August 8.)
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome audiences back to Allianz Stadium in the heart of Sydney,” commented Paul Dainty, President and CEO of promoters TEG Dainty. “Who better to lead the opening celebrations than the legendary, record-breaking artist Bruno Mars.”
Construction on Allianz Stadium began in 2020, taking place on what was previously the site of the Sydney Football Stadium (known as Allianz Stadium from 2012). That was demolished in 2019 following a contentious political debate surrounding that year’s state election. The new stadium is set to host large-scale live music and sporting events, with a capacity of 42,500.
News of Mars’ upcoming concerts at the stadium were first revealed last month, when Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys accused the NSW government of “undermining” the upcoming Everest horse race, which is set to take place at the nearby Randwick Racecourse the same day as Mars’ second concert on October 15.
NSW Tourism Minister defended the decision to hold both events, telling 2GB: “Global cities can do multiple things at once. New York wouldn’t cancel the Yankees because Billy Joel was playing at Madison Square Garden.”
Mars has had a big year thus far, following the release of ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’, the debut album from his project with Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic. In late February, the duo kicked off a Las Vegas residency at Park MGM. Originally set to run until April 2, a second leg took place in May, with a third commencing this month.
In April, the Silk Sonic opened the 2022 Grammy Awards with a performance of their song ‘777’. They received four wins at the award ceremony, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, all for their single ‘Leave the Door Open’. The duo also performed a cover of Con Funk Shun’s ‘Love’s Train’ at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, where they won Top R&B Song, also for ‘Leave the Door Open’.