AusLeisure

The organisers of the Australian Open have advised that this year’s tournament has smashed past attendance records with more than one million fans attending the 15-day event at Melbourne Park.

The final day of competition (28th January) saw 46,365 fans attend the twilight session bring the total attendance for the Grand Slam to 1,020,763 - beating the previous record of 839,192 in 2023.

Overall, the three-week attendance numbers (which include qualifying events welcomed 1,110,657 fans.

This record attendance is also reported to have injected more than $387 million to Victoria’s economy.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos congratulated Tennis Australia and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust on hosting the biggest global event held in January, noting broadcast ratings both throughout Australia and around the world are also expected to break records, putting Melbourne on the global stage as a visitor and major events destination.

“Enhancements for the 2024 event included the new AO Courtside Bar, a stunning double-storey structure overlooking Court 6 and new shade structures throughout the precinct, providing relief from the heat for tennis fans.”

The record-breaking Australian Open also saw the launch for Victoria’s new global tourism marketing campaign, Every bit different, which is showcasing Victoria to this unprecedented local, national and global audience.

A recent independent study commissioned by Visit Victoria found the major events calendar contributed $3.3 billion in value to the economy and generated more than 15,500 jobs for Victoria every year.

Minister Dimopoulos added “over the last three weeks we’ve been treated to some fantastic tennis, with the best yet to come in this weekend’s women’s and men’s finals. It’s great to see Melbourne bustling with tennis fans from all over the world.

“The Australian Open is one of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments, played at the world’s best sport and entertainment precinct. This event is a welcome boost for Melbourne’s hotels, hospitality venues and small businesses alike.”

Australian Open 2024, supported by major partner Kia in association with Emirates, Luzhou Laojiao and Rolex, will take place at Melbourne Park from 14th to 28th January 2024.

Image credits: Tennis Australia (top) and Anthony Grima (below).

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