Sydney's recent trifecta of major events - the Lunar New Year, Taylor Swift's concerts, and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival - has reportedly driven a significant increase in audience numbers across the city and its surrounding suburbs.

Data provided by digital outdoor company QMS indicates a 20% increase in audience numbers in February compared to January 2024, and a 6% increase compared to the 2023 average.

The Sydney CBD saw a 21% increase in audience numbers, with suburbs such as Newtown and Eveleigh experiencing increases of 81% and 26% respectively. Other suburbs with double-digit increases included Potts Point (21%), Glebe (19%), Elizabeth Bay (16%), Woollahra (16%), and Paddington (13%).

Interstate visitors to the City of Sydney increased by 28% compared to the 2023 average and 21% compared to January 2024, partly due to Taylor Swift's Sydney concerts. During the Lunar New Year, Sydney's Chinatown saw a 60% surge in audience numbers on weekend evenings and a 34% increase across the full weekend. Mardi Gras boosted audience numbers by 20% on festival weekends, including a 76% increase in interstate visitors.

"The triple whammy of Lunar New Year, Taylor Swift and Mardi Gras has proven once again that Sydney is the major event capital of Australia, drawing huge crowds not just to the city but also to the suburbs surrounding it." said Olivia Gotch, QMS General Manager, City of Sydney.

"These global events demonstrate the unrivalled power of Sydney, to draw significant audiences and unite people within the city where they live, work and play." Gotch added.

Sydney's Oxford Street precinct saw the biggest gains, up 38% across the festival and 74% in the evenings.

"Our digital-first City of Sydney network sits right within the heartland of this event mecca, enabling brands to authentically engage with their customers across the most digitally-advanced, data-enabled out of home network in Australia. Its design, scale, reach and influence are world-class and, as the velocity of audience uplift shows, it is an incredibly powerful marketing channel," Gotch concluded.