The Queensland Music Trails event also supported 33 jobs, at a time when both the music and tourism industries were still trying to find their feet after much of their workforce exited during Covid.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch are banking on the event’s performance to drive further spending in the state’s rural and regional communities.

“Music Trails are part of our Towards Tourism 2032 roadmap for building new experiences to help visitors discover more of regional Queensland,” Hinchliffe said.

“We know a strong pipeline of sporting and cultural events is absolutely important to maximise the opportunities on Queensland’s runway to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The first three Queensland Music Trails for 2023 will travel to several western Queensland centres, Scenic Rim and southern Queensland.

Some of the acts will include Lime Cordiale, C. W. Stoneking, Opera Queensland, Jem Cassar-Daley and Karl S Williams.

The tour through western Queensland, known as the ‘Outback Trail’ will wind its way from St George to Cunnamulla then Charleville and Tambo.

Festival of the Outback Opera from May 16-22 joins the Outback Music Trail at Winton, with further events at Longreach.

The Scenic Rim events take place from April 28-30 and Western Downs hosts the Southern Trail from May 5-7.

Queensland Music Trail line-ups for the Reef, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Tropics and Gold Coast later in 2023 will be announced in coming months.

Creative director Joel Edmondson said the events would create powerful engagement with the community, culture, heritage and natural appeal of Queensland locations.

General ticket sales open on February 14.