Eastern Creek International Raceway (ECIR) has recommenced business as a major outdoor music festival venue.

The first event will be the 2009 Soundwave Festival on February 22.

It is the first music festival to be held at the venue in more than 10 years and the first since a $5 million upgrade of facilities.

A crowd of almost 30,000 is expected at the festival, which is being headlined by American acts Nine Inch Nails, Alice In Chains and The Bloodhound Gang. Support acts include bands such as Flaming Lips and Tool.

The return of a large-scale music festival to the venue shows that Eastern Creek has come of age as a versatile community facility, the facility's chief executive Geoff Arnold said.

The multi-dimensional venue will host Soundwave's more than 60 international and local rock acts across six stages.

State government-owned Eastern Creek International Raceway has announced plans to stage several more festivals in 2009-2010.

Promoter of Eastern Creek Raceway, the Australian Racing Driver's Club, says the return of a major rock festival adds another important dimension to the facility's credentials as a vital community asset.

"Soundwave is the first large outdoor music festival to be staged in the city of Blacktown area for many years," Mr Arnold, said.

"We are actively promoting Eastern Creek raceway as a festival venue and we are canvassing the possibility of staging several more.

"Around 66 per cent of the pre-sold ticket holders for Soundwave are from outside the Blacktown area - travelling from as far afield as the northern rivers of NSW - which shows concert goers have faith in the facility's access, parking facilities and general amenities.

"Blacktown remains the fastest growing area in Australia, so it is important that western Sydney has a facility which can host a very diverse range of large and small scale events."

The promoter of Soundwave Festivals, which also visits Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, is using Eastern Creek International Raceway for the first time in the festival's history.

"Eastern Creek Raceway provides an ideal space for a multi-stage event," said Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah.

The 2008 Soundwave Festival was staged at Sydney Park in Alexandria - a venue it has now outgrown.

"For the first time in a long time, Sydney's festival-goers will be able to hear the bands beyond the 30-metre audio restriction mark."

AJ said that the festival would provide a continuous free shuttle bus service operating from the nearest train stations to the event.

In the early-to-mid 1990s, Eastern Creek hosted a number of the world's biggest acts including Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam.

Guns N' Roses performed before 93,000 fans in 1993, a Sydney crowd record that was only bettered at the 2000 Olympics.

Faith No More, and Lou Reed also performed in what became known as the Eastern Creek Bowl, located between the motor racing circuit's turn nine and turn ten.

Mr Arnold said that since the last music festival in 1997, $5 million had been spent in upgrades for the raceway, including improvements to power, toilet amenities and the construction of a skid pan and driver training facilities.

He confirmed that $750,000 had been recently spent on earthworks to improve the viewing and comfort of music festival-goers, which includes a 'chill-out' area.

"Eastern Creek International Raceway is not just a place to race - it is home to a growing number of events, from school cross-country carnivals to cycling clubs utilising it as a safe haven away from public roads," Mr Arnold said.

The raceway will play host to cycling events at the 2009 Australian Masters Games.

"As well as our drift school, we also have both driver and motorcycling training schools at the raceway, and drive and ride days for anyone with a high-performance car or motorcycle."

Subaru Australia has a workshop facility at the raceway to train its technicians.

In addition to a billy cart derby, the venue also hosts the annual St Vincent de Paul charity sleep out.

"Eastern Creek International Raceway will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, and it has really come of age as a general event venue," Mr Arnold said.

"It has become both a landmark and community asset in the major growth area of Australia's largest city, but it needs on-going development and support from government in order to cater for an increasing number of promotions and events."

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For more information contact:
Geoff Arnold
Chief Executive
Eastern Creek International Raceway
T: 02 9672 1000
E: geoff@ardc.com.au