Despite the Illawarra's ageing entertainment centre being in dire need of a facelift, Australian music icon Tina Arena has added Wollongong to her eight-city national tour for 2021.
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The pop queen returned to her home country from Europe last week for the tour announcement, which will include her band and a string quartet.
The "Sorrento Moon" singer said audiences on the coal coast had always been "extremely warm", though did support an upgrade of the WIN Entertainment Centre - where she will perform on May 26.
Wollongong has always been an extremely warm audience, so I would never not make that a part of the trajectory.
- Tina Arena
"The people of Wollongong deserve something fantastic," Arena told the Mercury.
"You pay your taxes ... and it's a responsibility to ensure our cultural centres are a place where people can congregate feeling great.
"Not only for the public, but for the artists to have an environment to which they can feel wonderful to be able to do their thing."
The star last visited Wollongong in 2017 for a concert and called for governments to chip in and give the WEC a much needed renovation during her performance at the centre.
At the time, she said the venue looked tired and was in need of some love.
This time around she said she still believed it needed an upgrade - which would "inevitably" attract more big selling artists to the region - but wouldn't let that stop her from delighting her fans now COVID-19 restrictions are easing.
"It's really important for us all to have something to look forward to and return to doing the things we cherish the most."
Enchanté: The Songs Of Tina Arena kicks off in Sydney on Tuesday May 4, 2021, before touring to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong and Canberra.
General public tickets go on sale November 16 - more details are at to www.tegdainty.com.