The South Australian government is defending the intimate Sam Smith event attended by influencers and celebrities after taxpayers were forced to foot the bill

The South Australian government has defended money spent to lure English singer Sam Smith to Adelaide for an exclusive concert at a winery.

Tourism Secretary Zoe Bettison said the event was the “new way of marketing” and the cost to the government would be far less than the $1 million proposed by the state’s opposition.

But the opposition said it was outrageous that taxpayers were being forced to foot the bill for the event, which was mostly attended by social media influencers and celebrities.

Smith performed at the McLaren Vale concert on 11 January. About 300 people attended, including 115 who won tickets through promotions by interstate radio stations.

Others in the crowd were social media influencers and media identities, including former The Project host Carrie Bickmore.

Ms Bettison said commercial arrangements prevented the government from disclosing the cost of the event and how much the singer was paid.

But she said the cost was “much less than the proposed $1 million.”

Tourism Secretary Zoe Bettison said the event was the “new way of marketing” and the cost to the government would be far less than the $1 million proposed by the state’s opposition.

“This is the new way of marketing,” she said.

“We have to get out there and do things differently. We want to get people’s attention and see South Australia as a place to visit.

“I definitely think that concert and the fact that Sam Smith is in South Australia did exactly what we wanted to do.”

But opposition tourism spokesman Jing Lee questioned the government’s lack of transparency.

Smith performed at the McLaren Vale concert on 11 January. About 300 people attended, including 115 who won tickets through promotions by interstate radio stations. Others in the crowd were social media influencers and media personalities including Carrie Bickmore (left)

‘Cause [Premier] Peter Malinauskas doesn’t want to reveal the details of the secret Sam Smith deal, we don’t know what the positive benefit is to South Australia – and that is if there is any,” Ms Lee said.

“We support events and big names visiting South Australia, but there has to be a benefit to the state and community.

“There are also disturbing rumors that celebrities and influencers were forced to post a predetermined amount of content on social media platforms to make the concert look like a huge success.”

Ms Bettison said when tourism officials targeted influencers for promotions, they were looking for different individuals with a significant following.

“I think they have a protocol that they follow. It’s not just about the number of followers and posts, but also the interactions with those posts,” she said.

Ms Bettison said commercial arrangements prevented the government from disclosing the cost of the event. (Sam is pictured in Washington, DC on December 13, 2022.)