Opposition calls for SA government to release cost of bringing Sam Smith to state for concert

The South Australian opposition has called on the state government to release details of how much it paid singer Sam Smith to perform in McLaren Vale last week. SA

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the money was "well spent" and that almost all of the about 300 people who attended were radio competition winners rather than being invited to

attend because they were social media influencers. A large number of social media influencers and media personalities posted about attending the concert last Wednesday, with

many mentioning that they had been invited by the South Australian Tourism Commission. A government spokesperson later clarified the invite list included 115 competition

winners and 90 media and influencers.   Arts Minister Andrea Michaels and local Labor MP Leon Bignell also attended. As well as being paid to perform a concert at the

d'Arenberg Cube, Smith was also paid to promote South Australia on social media, Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison told ABC Radio Adelaide today. The English singer put up five

posts on Instagram, one on Facebook and one on TikTok. Highlights of their trip that they posted about included a trip to the beach at Port Willunga (that he did not name),

cuddling koalas at Cleland Wildlife Park and visiting McDonald's on South Road in Melrose Park. Liberal MP Michelle Lensink said the opposition wanted to know much Smith's

concert cost taxpayers, what the business case was for it, if there was a media plan for it and if people were asked to use specific hashtags to promote South Australian

tourism.