MONA breaks attendance record with controversial new permanent collection wing

MONA has reported that its newest permanent collection wing — "The Moaning," which opened in March 2026 — has attracted 280,000 visitors in its first three months of operation, breaking the museum's previous attendance record and confirming the new wing's early status as the most commercially successful addition to the museum since the original opening in 2011.

The wing, which presents works from founder David Walsh's collection of works that address mortality, human consciousness, and the relationship between the body and technology, has generated the usual volume of both critical enthusiasm and public controversy that has characterised MONA's exhibitions throughout its history. The controversy — centred on several pieces that critics have described as confronting, disturbing, or simply incomprehensible — has, as MONA has repeatedly demonstrated, translated directly into visitor curiosity and attendance growth.

MONA director Mark Fraser said the first-quarter attendance figures confirmed that the demand for the MONA experience remained "as strong as it has ever been," noting that the average visitor satisfaction score for "The Moaning" was the highest recorded for any MONA exhibition and that repeat visitor rates — Tasmanians returning for their second or third visit to the wing — were running above historical averages.

The economic impact on Hobart from the wing's additional visitors is estimated at $28 million in the first quarter, as the incremental visitors who have come specifically for the new wing generate the accommodation, dining, and retail spending that MONA consistently delivers to the surrounding economy.

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