If you ask a musician what their biggest dream for their career is, chances are that many of them will tell you they fantasise about one day being able to sell out a massive stadium and play to tens of thousands of screaming fans.
You don’t have to guess why this is such a coveted milestone. Sure, it means that you’re definitely netting big paydays, but it also means that your music has connected with thousands and thousands of people.
So we’ve decided to take a look at some of the most legendary stadium gigs of all time.
Guns N’ Roses at Calder Park ’93
In 1993, Guns N’ Roses were the biggest band in the world and they were about to play one of the biggest gigs of their career. While technically taking place at a racetrack rather than a stadium, the band’s Calder Park performance in front of 75,000 screaming, stinking hot fans would go on to live in infamy as one of the most epic, but mismanaged live gigs of all time.
The other epic show Gunners put on at Eastern Creek – almost as insane, just as legendary.
Sound Relief ’09
Organisers to raise funds for those affected by the February 2009 Victorian bush fires, a collective of Australia’s biggest concert promoters put on two gigs, one at the MCG, one at the SCG, with a stacked lineup featuring Jet, Kings of Leon, Paul Kelly, Wolfmother, Kylie Minogue, Split Enz, Midnight Oil… oh, and Gabriella Cilmi, ’cause why not?
WaveAid ’05
Like Sound Relief, WaveAid was a massive stadium concert held at the Sydney Cricket Ground for a good cause, namely raising funds for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Ultimately, a lineup featuring Silverchair, Nick Cave, John Butler Trio, Missy Higgins, and more raised $2,300,000.
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U2 & Kanye West at Adelaide Oval ’06
Now, to be fair, that same year Robbie Williams attracted Adelaide Oval’s biggest crowd ever with more than 80,000 punters turning up, but it’s Robbie Williams so who cares? The one we FOMO’d over was U2 with support act Kanye West (yes, support act), who put 60,000 people through the gates with its massive double bill.
Live Aid at Wembley ’85
Before there was Sound Relief and WaveAid, there was Live Aid, the mega-event that created the modern charity concert. Organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the Ethiopian famine, some of the biggest bands and artists in the world, including David Bowie, Queen, Elton John, and Sting, turned out to play to 72,000 people.
Oasis at Maine Road ’96
Oasis are to Manchester what Manchester City are to Manchester, so it’s only natural that the band, who were at the peak of their popularity in 1996, would play the home stadium of their favourite football team. The fans were certainly mad fer it that day.
The Beatles at Shea Stadium ’65
No list of legendary stadium gigs would be complete without the inclusion of the mother of all stadium gigs, the one that makes generation after generation of bands dream of one day being able to play a stadium. Of course, this gig probably could’ve been better if you could hear the band’s amps over the sound screaming fans.
Paul McCartney at Maracana ’90
180,000 people… that’s like, a lot of people. That is a mind-bogglingly large number of people and it stands to reason that they all turned out to see The Beatles legend, y’know having been in The Beatles and all. Best of all, the crowd could actually hear him during this gig.
