Dreamworld rides a wave of success
Dreamworld says it is on track for a record year with attending numbers at its Gold Coast attractions surging in the six months to the New Year.
Coast Entertainment Holdings, which owns Dreamworld, WhiteWater World and Skypoint, says ticket sales jumped 46.6 per cent compared with the same period in 2024-25.
Group General Counsel Chris Todd said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange that the growth reflected “continued momentum from recently opened attractions, increased marketing and promotional activity, and improving trading conditions”.
“Total visitation increased 44.4 per cent, with a new record daily attendance achieved at Dreamworld during the recent peak school holiday period,’’ he said.
“Pleasingly, despite materially higher daily attendances, guest satisfaction scores remained high, reflecting the Group’s continued focus on delivering outstanding guest experiences.”
The company recorded 30 per cent growth in revenue to $62.2 million, with an increasing percentage of revenue coming from annual passes sold to locals.
“Visitation from international markets continued its gradual recovery during the period, although it remains below historical levels,’’ he said. “Further recovery from these markets is expected to provide upside for the business.”
New attractions, the King Claw and Rivertown, continued to help drive the increased visitation.
“SkyPoint also delivered a robust performance during the period, once again achieving record revenues, notwithstanding international visitation remaining below historical levels,’’ Mr Todd said.
The company says it expects a substantial increase in profit for the year, even though “broader macroeconomic challenges remain”.
The Group’s Corporate Costs, which reached a sustainable base in FY25 following several years of active cost-reduction initiatives, are expected to increase marginally in 1H26. As a result, the Group expects consolidated EBITDA (excluding Specific Items) to increase materially compared with the prior period.
Mr Todd said figures showed ticket sales and visitation in the first three weeks of January 2026 continued to show growth.
Meanwhile the company said it still does not know when the State Government will decide the future of a major development application on land it owns adjacent to Dreamworld.
The proposed Dreamworld masterplan, which includes a mix of hotels and apartment towers, is set to be built on a 55.3-hectare precinct. If approved, the application would put in place a masterplan similar to what has been developed at Robina but at a smaller scale.
“The timeframe for the Minister’s final decision on the application is unknown,’’ Mr Todd said. “At this time, the Group has not made any decisions or commitments regarding the proposed use of the land should the application be approved.
“The Board will continue to assess all options to ensure maximum benefit for shareholders and will provide updates to the market as information becomes available.”
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