Racing NSW CEO Peter V’Landys has slammed the New South Wales government for their decision to schedule a Bruno Mars concert on the same day the TAB Everest meeting is run.
The newly built Sydney Football Stadium will host the concert on October 15, with the pop star set to perform on a monster $10m deal.
Speaking to 2GB, V’Landys says the decision undermines all the hard work his team has done in building arguably the biggest day on the racing calender – saying the same age demographic will have to decide between the two events.
“Why would you divide Sydney into deciding where to go?” he said.
“We worked very hard to bring an event to Sydney, it’s a homegrown event. We’ve established it, we’ve got interstate visitors, now we’re getting international visitors.
“Why would you undermine it by putting a one-off pop concert down the road? It’s beyond comprehension. I thought when they told me yesterday it must have been the first of April. I can’t believe it.
“The Everest attracts the younger generation and we’re very proud that we’ve got an event for 20- to 35-year-olds, and they’re the same people that will go to Bruno Mars.
“Why wouldn’t you do it the week before or the week after? They’re both vacant weekends with no competition.
“You would never see the Victorian Government put a pop concert on the AFL Grand Final, it’s beyond comprehension. It makes no commercial sense, it’s not good for New South Wales tax payers and as I said, we have worked exceptionally hard to bring an event to Sydney with no assistance from no one.
“For the first time, Melbourne residents are coming to Sydney for racing rather than vice versa, and what does the government do? It undermines us.”
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