Frontier Touring
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Concert promotion |
| Founded | November 1979 |
| Founder | Michael Gudinski and partners |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
Key people | Michael Gudinski (leader) |
| Products | Concert promotion services |
| Parent | Mushroom Group (initial project) |
| Website | frontiertouring |
The Frontier Touring Company Pty Ltd, operating under the names Frontier Touring and Frontier, ranks among the leading concert promotion firms across Australia and New Zealand. Established in November 1979 by Michael Gudinski as an initial project within the Mushroom Group alongside eight industry collaborators, Gudinski has continuously led the organization. Since launching its inaugural tour in 1980, Frontier has managed promotions for more than five hundred artists. According to Pollstar in 2013, it was recognized as the top Australasian Concert Promoter and held the 20th position on the global stage.
History
The inception of the company followed Michael Chugg’s return from the United Kingdom, where after witnessing a the Police performance, he was unable to obtain support for a local tour. Joining forces with former employer Michael Gudinski, they created Frontier Touring in November 1979 with partners including Phil Jacobsen (financial specialist and artist manager), Ray Evans, Sam Righi (operations head at Harbour Booking Agency), Frank Stivala (operations head at Premier Artists), Glenn Wheatley, Robbie Williams, and Steve Wright. Wheatley and Wright eventually sold their stakes to concentrate on promoting Little River Band within the United States. Williams departed during the mid-1980s following disagreements with Righi. Within the company structure, Gudinski acted as its public representative, Chugg took on general management duties, and Jacobsen handled financial oversight.
Early tours promoted by Frontier featured UK Squeeze in January 1980 and The Police in February 1980—who continue to be part of its portfolio. Subsequent events included performances by Gary Numan and a follow-up Police tour. By 1980, Chugg highlighted that presenting international artists helped open doors for domestic acts and related industries. In 1981, Billboard's Glenn A. Baker acknowledged Frontier’s approach of progressively developing emerging performers.
Chugg exited Frontier in 1999 after a quarter century to establish his own enterprise; Jacobsen also left but remained involved as a financial advisor. Sam Righi resigned from his roles as Frontier manager and Harbour Agency director in 2002.
By 2008, Pollstar placed Frontier as the leading concert promoter in Australasia and ranked it 15th worldwide. The company contributed to organizing Australia’s Sound Relief event in 2009. Celebrating its 500th tour in 2010 with Tom Jones, Frontier also secured an exclusive contract to operate events at Victoria’s Hanging Rock through 2018.
In 2011, to honor thirty years of operation, Frontier released Every Poster Tells a Story: 30 Years of the Frontier Touring Co. By 2013, the firm was ranked as the world’s 16th largest music promotion company based on ticket sales. In March 2014, Frontier postponed its Australian Rolling Stones tour following the passing of Mick Jagger’s partner.