AusLeisure

While the first State of Origin clash of 2018 is expected to draw a crowd of more than 85,000 fans to the MCG tonight, Melbourne’s comprehensive events calendar will also see other major events and exhibitions premiering this week.

June will not only see the opening game of the 2018 State of Origin series tonight, but will also feature the opening of the Real Madrid World of Football Experience tomorrow and the much-anticipated opening of MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art on Saturday.

The last State of Origin clash at the MCG cemented Melbourne’s reputation as the sporting capital of Australia, drawing a record crowd of 91,513, which also means big business for Melbourne.

According to STR data, hotel occupancy in Victoria reached an incredible 98.4% in 2015 when the last State of Origin was on, while occupancy rates for all other Wednesdays that June was 78.9%. State of Origin night injected $4.9 million in accommodation revenue, compared to an average of $2.5 million for all other Wednesdays that month.

The great contribution of major events is not limited to sport, with Melbourne’s Winter Masterpieces series generating significant economic and cultural benefit to Victoria. On Saturday the biggest and most significant collection of masterworks to leave New York City’s prestigious Museum of Modern Art will open to the public in Melbourne, complemented by a slew of events as part of the MEL&NYC festival.

In 2017, the National Gallery of Victoria’s Van Gogh and the Seasons exhibition generated almost $56 million for the Victorian economy, and attracted 462,262 visitors, making it the most popular ticketed exhibition in the gallery’s history.

Record breaking exhibitions have placed Melbourne firmly on the global stage and encouraged the Victorian Government’s recent announcement to invest $208 million to in the new NGV Contemporary gallery.

Melbourne Museum will also be hosting the Real Madrid World of Football Experience from tomorrow until August this year, which will provide visitors of all ages a chance to discover the culture, passion, players and epic victories that make Real Madrid C.F. the football club of the century.

Visit Victoria Chief Executive Peter Bingeman said that Melbourne has consistently proven itself as an outstanding host of world-class major events, commenting “international events in Melbourne have resulted in spectacular attendance records, drawing crowds from around Australia and overseas as well as enthusiastic locals.

“Visit Victoria has played a vital part in delivering sustained economic success to Victoria by working alongside government and a range of industries to deliver the best experiences.”

Since its establishment Visit Victoria has secured more than 60 major events, 330 business events and supported more than 160 events across our regions. 

Images: The MCG (top) and Peter Bingeman speaks at a Destination Melbourne event (below).

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