Holden State of Origin Series launched in Melbourne

The Holden State of Origin series returns to Melbourne in June – 21 years after the two coaches, Laurie Daley (NSW) and Mal Meninga (Queensland), captained their sides in the first Origin match ever held at the MCG.

2015 State of Origin Tickets

The 2015 Origin series was today launched in Melbourne by NRL CEO Dave Smith and Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Major Events and Regional Victoria, Danielle Green MP. They were accompanied by Daley and incumbent captains Cameron Smith and Paul Gallen.

Mr Smith said Origin had become the biggest sporting brand in Australia.

And he said the return to the MCG this year meant fans would be able to see Origin in three States – Queensland, NSW and Victoria. 

"State of Origin is one of sport's greatest rivalries. It played to massive crowds in all three matches last year and took out the top two television ratings spots for the year," he said.

"When Origin was first played at the MCG, it attracted a crowd of more than 87,000 fans in 1994 – which was the highest crowd for a Rugby League match in Australia.

"Origin now reaches more than eight million unique fans on social media – and that number is growing all the time.

"So the scene is set for an Origin series which will be taken to millions of fans across the country and around the globe."

Mr Smith said the decision to stage a match at the MCG was part of the NRL’s push to keep growing the game.

Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Minister for Sport and Minister for Veterans John Eren said: "It's fitting that one of our nation's most intense rivalries will be played at Australia's home of sport, the great MCG.

"The Andrews Labor Government is delighted that Victorians will get a chance to witness the passion and pride on the line when New South Wales and Queensland go to war.

"The MCG is as good a battleground as any renowned sports venue, and an event as significant as a State of Origin game promises to be an outstanding occasion with a memorable atmosphere."

Mr Eren said Origin was also another chance to showcase Victoria to the rest of Australia and beyond.

Laurie Daley and Mal Meninga said it would be a privilege for their teams to play in front of a massive crowd at the MCG.

"Last year was an incredible experience for our squad but this is a new series with new challenges," Daley said.

"We aim to show Melbourne why State of Origin is one of the greatest sporting events in the world."

Meninga said both teams would relish the prospect of playing to huge crowds at the MCG, ANZ Stadium and Suncorp Stadium.

"State of Origin series are always highlights of the year, but this year’s series is shaping up as something really special," he said.

NSW holds the Origin title after breaking eight years of Queensland dominance last year. 

Tickets for Game Three at Suncorp Stadium went on sale at 10am (AEDT) today. Tickets for Games One and Two are already on sale.

Today's launch comes ahead of Melbourne Storm's first home game of the season this Saturday night, against Cronulla.

2015 Holden State of Origin Series

Game I – ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Wednesday, 27 May

Game II – Melbourne Cricket Ground, Wednesday, 17 June

Game III – Suncorp Stadium, Wednesday, 8 July

Click here for tickets to all three games

Source: http://www.nrl.com/holden-state-of-origin-series-launched-in-melbourne/tabid/10874/newsid/84597/default.aspx

Australian Cities to Benefit From Rise in Chinese Tourist Numbers

Sydney and Melbourne residents could be saying "ni hao" to twice as many Chinese tourists by 2023 than they do today as rising incomes in China make international travel more affordable.

A new global study by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in partnership with Oxford Economics found the number of Chinese households earning more than $US35,000 ($45,970) - considered a threshold for being able to afford overseas travel - will nearly triple to 63 million by 2023.

That is expected to lead to a 109 per cent rise in the number of Chinese arrivals into Melbourne and a 98 per cent rise in arrivals to Sydney. Brisbane and the Gold Coast will also benefit from rises of 90 per cent and 86 per cent respectively.

"As Chinese tourism demand matures, we expect preferences to shift toward more expensive, longer-haul experiences," the study said. 

Australia was the ninth largest outbound spending market for Chinese visitors in 2013, and most travellers to Australia visit for holidays rather than business and tend to prefer cities over rural areas.

Tourism Australia has been working hard to attract Chinese visitors - in particularly, ones that travel independently rather than in groups because independent travellers spend more. China is already Australia's second biggest source of inbound visitors, behind New Zealand, and its most valuable with annual spending of $5 billion a year, which is expected to reach more than $13 billion by the end of the decade.

However, the IHG/Oxford Economics study showed Australia did not rank in the top 10 long-haul markets for forecast absolute growth in Chinese arrivals between 2013 and 2023. The United States is expected to receive an annual jump of 3.4 million visitors by 2023. France was in second place with 1.2 million and the United Kingdom placed tenth with 299,000 additional arrivals expected. By contrast, Australia is expected to receive 1 million Chinese visitors by 2023, up from 709,000 in 2013. That placed it just out of the top 10 forecast countries for absolute growth.

Tourism Australia managing director John O'Sullivan said with so many other countries competing fiercely for the Chinese market, Australia couldn't afford to take its success to date for granted. "This means understanding what Chinese travellers are looking for in an overseas holiday, and, where needed, adapting and developing our tourism experiences to better fit their needs and expectations," he said.

Karin Sheppard, IHG's chief operating officer Australasia, said nearly half of her group's hotels in Australia were China Ready accredited and that number would rise alongside the expected growth in the number of Chinese guests.

IHG's 11 China Ready hotel properties, which include the InterContinental Sydney, Crowne Plaza Melbourne and Holiday Inn Potts Point Sydney, feature Mandarin-speaking staff, trained Chinese chefs, UnionPay payment facilities and Mandarin television channels in the rooms.

Sydney to Steal Melbourne Grand Prix Under $180 Million Plan by Premier Mike Baird

Formula 1 Race Car in Sydney -Image: Joseph Gale

AN audacious bid to bring the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix to Sydney and possibly race it across the Harbour Bridge will be launched by a ­­­re-elected Baird government.

Premier Mike Baird will today announce that, if ­­re-elected on March 28, work would start on taking the Grand Prix off Melbourne.

Mr Baird would establish a bid team featuring Rod ­McGeoch, who led Sydney’s successful 2000 Olympics bid, and former News Corp CEO John Hartigan, the chairman of Destination NSW. The team would report to government by the end of the year on the economics of the race.

It is understood the Premier is interested in a minimum three-year bid which would cost NSW taxpayers up to $180 million to stage the event.

One option is for the event to race across the Harbour Bridge, back through the ­Cahill Expressway past the Conservatorium of Music and then down Bridge Street on to York Street in an approximately 5km circuit — about the same length as that of ­Melbourne’s Albert Park.

If the bridge were used, chicanes would have to be installed to ensure the cars went slower because the shape of the bridge’s road surface would otherwise cause the cars to lift up.

The CBD would be shut down for the race, which would see F1 stars such as ­Australia’s Red Bull ace Daniel Ricciardo doing high-speed battle over the harbour.

It is understood the ­government has plans to set up a street circuit similar to ­Monaco and Singapore.

The key would be to feature the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as part of the race to a worldwide television audience.

A public holiday would likely be created on the Friday of the event, if it came to Sydney, to get everyone into the spirit.

Mr McGeoch and Mr Hartigan will examine all aspects of a potential bid — including cost to taxpayers, benefits to the economy, infrastructure implications and potential routes. The Australian Grand Prix runs in March, with this year’s race run this weekend.

Daniel Ricciardo driving at the 2014 Australian Formula One Grand Prix - Source Dailytelegraph.com.au

Victoria’s contract expires in 2020 but a decision on an Australian host city is expected to be made by the Formula One governing body in 2018.

The bid would take ­advantage of the fact that the man who helped negotiate its transfer from Adelaide to ­Melbourne in 1996, Ron ­Walker, has just stood down as head of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

“I want the Formula One to come to Sydney, because no other city in the world could provide a more spectacular backdrop for this event,” Premier Mike Baird said.

“We know this event is watched by up to 30 million people around the world, and securing the Grand Prix would put our already successful events strategy in pole position.

“But we need to get all the facts, before we move to bid stage. Rod McGeoch and John Hartigan are the right people to make this happen.”

Last month, the government announced it would top up its major events budget by $123 million if elected with hopes for an American National Football League (NFL) game, another Major League Baseball game, a National Basketball Association game or the F1 for Sydney. The extra money would take the major events budget to $643 million.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews ordered his major events teams to reconsider how his state attracts events after the NSW government successfully snared more than 130 sporting, cultural and lifestyle events in 2014, injecting more than $500 million into the state.

The 2014 Australian Grand Prix drew an ­attendance of 314,900.

The Grand Prix moved to Melbourne in 1996 after 10 years in Adelaide but it has always attracted ­controversy, especially from the residents near the Albert Park circuit.

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Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2015

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival attracts over 250,000 visitors with its diverse and robust program that includes the World’s Longest Lunch and avant-garde tasting dishes from global culinary superstars. Each year the Festival Hub is centred around a theme, inspiring creativity and conversation by chefs and foodies alike. In 2015 the Festival Hub was designated the Artisan Bakery & Bar.

On the rise

With the growing popularity of the produce to plate movement, the artisan bread trend has continued to rise in Australia.

Andrew Connole, director and CEO of Sonoma Baking Company says, “The Australian population are familiar with and have become accustomed to eating high quality, fresh produce and there is a growing emphasis on the importance of eating healthy and nutritional foods, so it’s not surprising that there is a demand for artisan bread here in Australia.”

Known as the “Godfather of sourdough” amongst the foodie industry for starting sourdough in Melbourne in the late 70’s, John Downes is one of the bakers at the 2015 Melbourne Food & Wine’s Festival Hub. Downes says “… it’s an ancient ‘trend’ which is simply being reborn and is here to stay and will continue to grow. The trend is now though towards healthy and sustainable products.

Breaking it down

Bread is essentially made out of three simple ingredients – flour, salt and water. With very little to hide behind, the quality of these ingredients becomes pivotal to the flavour of the end product.

Downes says, “I have been working in the UK with a large organic flour mill, where we purchased wheat from all over the world. In my opinion, I have not come across the quality of flour that is available in Australia anywhere else.” He continues “the biodynamic flour in Australia is unsurpassed. Because biodynamic farmers regenerate their soil, biodynamic flour has the maximum flavour one can get from wheat/rye/barley/spelt....and the new/old grains such as Emmer wheat.”

Michael James from Tivoli Road Bakery in Melbourne has worked at international restaurants such as the two Michelin starred Pied à Terre and Sydney’s renowned Bourke Street Bakery before starting his own bakery. 

 James sees the importance of quality ingredients when it comes to baking bread and sources most of his from Victoria. “We use Australian local organic flour that we freshly mill ourselves because we want to give maximum nutrition and flavour to our customers as do all artisan bakers in Australia,” he says.

Where to try

There is nothing like freshly baked bread straight from the oven. Try your own slice of heaven at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s Artisan Bakery and Bar open until 15 March.

Alternatively head straight to the source and try…Tavoli Road Bakery in Melbourne, Sonoma Bakeries in Sydney, Manu Bread in Launceston, Organic Loafers in Perth and Crust & Coin Brisbane.

Discover other exciting events that are happening around Australia. Or find out more about Australia’s food and wine.

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Glenn Miller Orchestra Concert Spectacular | Sydney Melbourne

The Glenn Miller Orchestra returns by overwhelming popular demand for this concert spectacular, to honour the year of the ANZAC Centenary. 

Featuring America’s finest musicians together with the Moonlight Serenade Singers and The Broadway Swing Dancers, the concert will pay tribute to the spirit of ANZAC including a special feature of music and songs from the years of the Great War. 

All the famous Glenn Miller classics will be performed by the Orchestra playing the original music arrangements; timeless icons of American culture such as Chattanooga Choo Choo, A String Of Pearls, Tuxedo Junction, Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug and the greatest Miller hit of all time, In The Mood.

Remembering the Centenary of Anzac

It is fitting that the Glenn Miller Orchestra is returning in 2015, the year of the Centenary of Anzac. 

Major Glenn Miller served in the United States Army Air Force from 1942 until his untimely death on December 15th 1944 when he was travelling to entertain US troops in France; his aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel. 

Glenn Miller recorded many memorable hots from the 1914 to 1918 period which the orchestra will perform in tribute to the ANZACS. 

‘My Buddy’ – ‘Over There’ – ‘Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag’ – ‘If You Were The Only Girl In The World’ and many more. 

THE UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC OF THE 1940’S FROM THE GOLDEN ERA OF SWING

“An evening of nostalgia…unforgettable music; an absolutely brilliant concert” 
– The Australian Stage

Show Venues and Dates:

May 31st, 2015 WIN Entertainment Centre, NSW 2PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

June 20th, 2015 State Theatre, Sydney, NSW 2PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

June 20th, 2015 State Theatre, Sydney, NSW 7.30PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

Friday June 05, 2015 Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall 7.30PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

Saturday June 13, 2015 Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall 2.30PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

Find out more and purchase tickets to this event at Ticket Master

UFC Melbourne to be a Regular Event, Debut at Etihad Still up in the Air

In November, the UFC are bringing their first pay-per-view blockbuster to Australia since 2011, but there's no certainty that it will be inside Melbourne's 55,000 seat Etihad Stadium.

"We haven't made the final decision as to whether or not our event on November the 15th will be at Etihad Stadium, or at a venue like Rod Laver Arena, because we don't really know who's going to be on the card." Tom Wright, the UFC's Director of Operations for Australia told MMA Kanvas.

"We haven't made the final decision as to whether or not our event on November the 15th will be at Etihad Stadium, or at a venue like Rod Laver Arena"

The big wigs at the Nevada-based promotion are well aware that they only get one chance to make a first impression, so Wright is still confident that they can bring a landmark event to "the sporting capital of the world."




"I'd love to see a couple of championship fights and go to Etihad," Wright revealed

"I rely on the best matchmakers in the business - Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, and obviously they make those calls though."

MMA Kanvas has since contacted Etihad Stadium, who confirmed that there are currently no eventsscheduled on November 15th, the day UFC plans to make the Melbourne premiere.

That's not to say that the UFC don't have a placeholder on the venue, but officially - nothing is "booked".

"The great thing about Melbourne is there are some fabulous venues here. Rod Laver Arena is a fabulous venue, Hisense Arena is nice too. There are many, many different opportunities for us." Wright added.




Wright, the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL), has been making regular trips to Australia for a number of years.

During those visits, he has serves as the de facto figurehead of the promotion in Australia, and landed the unenviable task of trying to sway the opinion of stubborn politicians as to the "cage ban" and its application to MMA in Victoria.

When Labor Sports Minister John Eren made the official announcement of the cage ban being overturned this morning he was admittedly "thrilled".

"We have been working on this for a long time," he added "And we've always felt that when you provide facts and statistics and argue from a basis of objectivity that it was a question of when, not if, this day would come."

Wright, along with many others, have fought long and hard to unlock Melbourne as an option for UFC events. Now they expect Victoria to become a regular stopping point on the company's growing schedule of events.

"There are certain cities around the world that can handle a regular (event), and we think Melbourne is one. Not too dissimilar to Sydney. We've been coming since 2010 and we've been to Sydney four times and I feel that Melbourne is a world-class city and it's the kind of city we'd love to have as a regular fixture."

While this is a fantastic day for Wright and his team at the UFC, the war still isn't over yet. Western Australia is still in the dark, and is now the only state that disallows mixed martial arts bouts inside a cage.

For Wright, it means he has to put on the figurative boxing gloves back on and return to battle, but he's optimistic that Victoria changing their tune will speed up the process of overturning the final cage ban in Australia.

"With Victoria seeing the light, if I can use that term, and becoming more enlightened about fighters safety and fighter equality, we'll use those points to argue that W.A should follow suit."

"I think on my next trip down here I will make it over to W.A. We will continue to put forward out arguments of ensuring there's a safe environment for our athletes to compete in, and a fair environment."

The UFC will first head to Adelaide on May 10, with Wright shooting down rumours that the promotion will also host an event in Sydney in 2015.

"I haven't heard of that rumour, so I can confirm it isn't true."

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Madonna to tour Australia for the first time in 23 years

It has been almost a quarter of a century since her last performance on Australian soil - now, at the age of 56, Madonna is set to return as part of her Rebel Heart tour.

Billboard has confirmed that the Living for Love star will visit Asia and Australia in early 2016. She is touring to promote her 13th studio album, which will be released this week through Interscope Records.

The last time Madonna played to Australian audiences was in 1993, when her Girlie Show: Live Down Under tour rocked crowds at the Sydney Cricket Ground in what became an HBO special broadcast on television.

Madonna will kick off her tour in North America, with 25-30 shows, starting in Miami in August. She will then head home to Britain and Europe for a further 25-30 shows beginning in November through to late December.

Dates have not be established for the Australian leg of the tour, however a statement on Madonna's website says they will be announced soon.

"Madonna continues to be one of the most successful touring artists in history - her shows are legendary and we are thrilled to have her going back on tour," Arthur Fogel, the president of Global Touring and chairman of Global Music, said.

As to her touring Australia, Fogel told Billboard that it was "kind of bizarre when you think about it, that a superstar like that hasn't been to a pretty regular touring area for [almost] 25 years."

Madonna has garnered a reputation as one of the most successful live performers. Her 2008/2009 Sticky & Sweet tour is the highest grossing tour of all time for a solo artist.

She was recently in the news after she tumbled down a staircase during a live performance at the Brit Awards in London following a wardrobe malfunction.

Source: www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/madonna-to-tour-australia-for-the-first-time-in-23-years-20150302-13t5s5.html

Madonna touring Sydney, Australia in 2016

Ricciardo insists Red Bull is ready for Melbourne

Lead driver dispels questions over lack of pace and reliability ahead of season opening Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo believes that Red Bull is ready for the challenge of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, despite a series of setbacks in pre-season testing.

Ricciardo was forced to walk back from his stranded car in the opening minutes of the final test at Barcelona on Sunday, following an ERS problem.

“For me personally, I feel ready to race – we’ll be good for Melbourne,” he said.

“We did a bit on the lower fuel (today), I guess more performance style, then we did some longer runs as well.

“So, yeah, I think it was OK. The good news is we’re going to Melbourne.”

When asked about where he sees Red Bull in the overall pecking order, he replied: “It’s hard to say.

“I mean, I think Mercedes are the ones in front, then I think it’s pretty close between Williams, Ferrari and us at the moment. We’ll see in Melbourne.”

On the subject of the reliability issues the team has suffering, including the ERS problem on the Renault power unit this morning, he said: “It’s not too worrying, it happens and it’s still early on.

“You’d prefer not to have them, for sure, but it’s better than last year!”

Red Bull now has some upcoming filming days at Barcelona, and Ricciardo hopes that will be of benefit ahead of the opening Grand Prix.

“Every bit of mileage we can do helps,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of those coming – they’re definitely more for the guys behind the laptops.”

Source: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-insists-red-bull-is-ready-for-melbourne/

Counting Crows Add Brisbane Show To 2015 Australian Tour

American rockers Counting Crows have blessed their Aussie fans, with a Brisbane show now part of the group’s 2015 Australian headline tour, which is taking place around their Bluesfest 2015 appearances. The one-off Brisbane concert is slated to take place on Sunday, 12th April.

Having just wrapped up a US tour, Counting Crows are ready to return down under with their renowned live shows. The tour will see performances of hits from the band’s 20-plus years in the business, including Mr. Jones, Accidentally In Love, Big Yellow Taxi and Colourblind.

Counting Crows last performed headline shows in Australia in 2013, around their last Bluesfest appearance. This time around, the group will also be showing off material from their latest full-length release, Somewhere Under Wonderland. The album, which was released in September last year, marked the band’s first new material since 2007.

Counting Crows’ 2015 Australian Tour

Fan Club pre-sale available from midday Thursday, 19th February until 9am Friday, 20th February.
My Live Nation & Ticket agent pre-sales available from midday Friday, 20th February until 5pm Sunday, 22nd February.

Tickets for all other shows are available now:

Saturday, 4th April 2015
Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Tickets: Live Nation

Sunday, 5th April 2015
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide
Tickets: Live Nation

Tuesday, 7th April 2015
Concert Hall, Perth
Tickets: Live Nation

Thursday, 9th April 2015
State Theatre, Sydney
Tickets: Live Nation

Sunday, 12th April 2015 – NEW SHOW
The Tivoli, Brisbane
Tickets: Live Nation

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