Brisbane's Olympics boss has promised "affordable" tickets for the 2032 Games — and wants guaranteed spots for residents at the opening and closing ceremonies.
In an interview with the ABC president of the 2032 organising committee Andrew Liveris said the Paris Games sold a million tickets for about 40 euros ($70) each.
He said it was "very important" for tickets to be available to Brisbane residents, with ballots or lotteries to determine the allocation.
"We will have affordable ticket pricing for the demographic that we care about, which is the citizen that isn't the elite VIP, hospitality orientated," Mr Liveris said.
'Not for tourists'
Asked if a family would be able to attend the swimming finals for an affordable price, Mr Liveris highlighted the Sydney Games as an example Brisbane wanted to follow.
"One thing Sydney did well, which we will learn from … is making sure that tickets were put to one side like that, so there wasn't just the rich and the elite that can go to them," he said.
"We will look at what Sydney did. They did some of that ... allocate for the premier events for school kids and others to go to them."
He also said it was his "goal" to have a guaranteed ticket allocation for Brisbane residents to attend the opening and closing ceremonies.
"Certainly, we would work on that," he said.
"This is not an event for tourists. This is an event for the nation. This is an event for the state. It's an event for the region. It's an event for the city."
Mr Liveris said "very high" priced tickets with perks would still be available, but this would offset the cost of other tickets to make them more affordable.
He suggested an affordable price would be between $30 and $50.
"Don't hold me to that, but something like that," Mr Liveris added.
About a third of the revenue to be raised during the multi-billion-dollar Brisbane Games is expected to come from ticket sales and merchandise.
The delivery cost for the Games is projected to be about $5 billion.
Ecstatic for Victoria Park stadium
Mr Liveris said he was ecstatic to hear a new stadium would be built at Victoria Park.
"One of the great things about Paris was the athlete and fan experience," he said.
"I can now see a fan experience and an athlete experience at the new precinct in Victoria Park, with the aquatic centre nearby and the village potentially right next alongside it, as a very marketable thing for people to actually come and visit, be part of, and then have a legacy."
Reflecting on former premier Steven Miles's proposal to use QSAC, Mr Liveris said a lot of work would have been needed to make it user-friendly for a large-scale event.
"To be honest, I had to actually know where QSAC was," he said, when asked what went through his mind when Mr Miles proposed using the site at Nathan.
"I knew Brisbane Commonwealth Games '82. When I was here, that's what I knew it as.
"The fact it had been renamed QSAC had escaped my attention. Five minutes later I found out what it was, so it wasn't brand new to me in that respect."
More sports apply for Brisbane Games
The 2028 Los Angeles Games is adding six new sports: cricket, squash, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and flag football.
Mr Liveris said over a dozen new sports had also applied to join the Brisbane Games.
He said any sports added to the Games needed to have a "financial positive".
They also need a gender balance and international popularity, with multiple countries engaged in the sport.
"What sports matter to a) the Australian consumer, b) the global consumer, to get more TV revenue. I think you've got to think about it that way," he said.
"I want revenue because this is a commercial activity. We're privately funded.
"If I'm going to add things, it can't be criteria that's a flight of fancy."
Brisbane 2032 is set to announce its sporting line up in the first half of next year.
