Final blow as Phillip Island loses the Superbikes to South Australia
The Bend in South Australia will host its first Superbikes round in February 2028 under a multi-year deal that also includes the MotoGP from 2027.
Phillip Island has lost the World Superbike Championship to South Australia, sealing the double blow first feared when the MotoGP was torn away from the Bass Coast in February.
South Australia confirmed on Thursday it had won an annual round of the FIM Superbike World Championship on a multi-year deal, with the race moving to the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend from 2028.
The loss had effectively been locked in months ago.
South Australia struck the Superbikes deal as part of the same agreement that lured the MotoGP to the Adelaide Street Circuit from 2027, binding both of Phillip Island's marquee motorcycle events to the same rival state.
The Island will host its final Superbikes round in 2027 and its last MotoGP in October 2026 before both head west.
It is the outcome Destination Phillip Island warned of in February, when chief executive Kim Storey cautioned the situation could worsen because the Superbikes contract was due to expire in 2027.
The twin losses strip the Bass Coast of its two biggest international events within months of each other.
A 2023 Ernst and Young study found the MotoGP alone delivered $54.6 million to the state, including $29.4 million in direct local spend within the Bass Coast, and supported about 284 full-time equivalent jobs.
Bass Coast Shire Council has warned the loss of the MotoGP could leave a $290 million economic gap over the next decade, after neither the state government nor the federal government committed replacement funding in their most recent budgets.
The Superbikes decision deepens that hole.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said the deal strengthened his state's position as the nation's motorsport capital.
"With WorldSBK joining MotoGP, the Adelaide 500 and the AirTouch 500 Enduro, this announcement reinforces our commitment to motorsport and reflects our determination to ensure South Australia remains the home of motorsport in this country," Mr Malinauskas said.
The Bend's managing director Dr Sam Shahin said the championship was a historic win for South Australian motorsport.
"This championship is set to bring the top motorcycle manufacturers, teams and riders to South Australia, creating a powerful platform that will showcase our venue, our passionate motorsport community and our state to a global audience," Dr Shahin said.
WorldSBK sporting director Gregorio Lavilla said Australia remained an important market for the championship.
"The Bend is an impressive venue with exceptional facilities and a strong commitment to motorsport," Mr Lavilla said.
The first Australian round at The Bend is set for February 2028.
The twin departures cap a turbulent year for major events on the Bass Coast.
Phillip Island had hosted the Australian motorcycle grand prix for almost 30 years, with the 2026 event drawing the largest crowd since 2012.
The MotoGP loss was confirmed in February after the state government turned down a request from rights holder Dorna Sports to move the race to Melbourne's Albert Park, instead offering increased marketing and financial support to keep it on the Island.
Bass Coast Shire Council has since pushed for a replacement, floating ideas including a festival of motorsport, electric racing series and a year-round events pipeline through its Repositioning Phillip Island report.
Destination Phillip Island has called for any response to focus on long-term, sustainable tourism infrastructure rather than a single replacement event.
The state government has previously said it remains in talks with the council and local tourism bodies about what could fill the October 2027 timeslot left by the MotoGP.
