Eden Park’s concert quota to increase, but will artists come?

Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Eden Park is seeking support for an increase in their annual concert quota, hoping to increase it from six to twelve nights each year.

It is early days, but questions are being asked as to whether New Zealand’s largest stadium will be able to fill its new annual quota of concerts.

On Monday, the Government announced a raft of changes to local planning rules that will allow Eden Park to host up to 32 concerts per year.

The changes came after the Government launched an investigation last year into whether planning rules were “limiting” Eden Park’s ability to host major events.

Resource Management Act Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the investigation, which included public consultation, found the rules were “overly restrictive” and “out of step with modern stadium use”.

Under the new settings, the 50,000-capacity venue will be able to host 12 large concerts (for 30,000+ attendees) and 20 medium-sized concerts (for between 10 and 30,000 attendees) without the need for resource consent.

The changes announced are an increase from the venue’s current limit of just 12 concerts, which were previously not permitted to feature more than six different artists or acts.

Along with the number of concerts that can be held, they can take place on any day, last for 8 hours, and run until 11pm. This is an increase on the current maximum of five hours on a weekday and six hours on a Saturday.

Bishop said the changes, which are expected to come into force in April, will enable a “wider range of events”, including exhibitions, displays, markets, fairs, trade fairs, and cultural and community events.

Eden Park says the changes bring the venue’s operating settings into line with comparable international venues and provide the “flexibility” required to compete for global content.

CEO Nick Sautner told Stuff there are no guarantees of securing performances, but a stadium of this scale must be able to respond to demand.

“The changes enable certainty and flexibility,” Sautner said, adding that he was “delighted” that they reflected the role Eden Park plays as a national stadium.

Sautner said Eden Park was ready to seize opportunities that became available.

Eden Park will now be able to host 32 concerts per year.

“We are constantly in discussions with hirers, sporting bodies and promoters and these changes ensure we have the appropriate framework in place, giving us the flexibility and certainty required to respond to event opportunities as they arise,” he said.

In recent years, many big-name acts, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Oasis, have bypassed New Zealand, with some saying the small number of shows allowed at Eden Park and its strict event rules were partly to blame.

Chris Schulz goes to more gigs than most people. One hundred plus a year, he told Stuff. He has also written extensively about Auckland’s gig economy and why many acts have skipped New Zealand for Australia-only shows.

He remains sceptical whether increasing the number of shows Eden Park can host will attract big artists back to the country.

“Bad Bunny is about to play two shows in a Sydney stadium, and Harry Styles has four booked in Melbourne and Sydney for later in the year.

Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield of Metallica perform at Eden Park.

“Major stadium acts are still bypassing Aotearoa. Until that changes, it’s hard to see how Eden Park is going to get enough artists through to fill it 32 times a year,” he said.

Schulz said Auckland already has “plenty” of underused stadiums and if major artists still aren’t coming here, it won’t matter if Eden Park is allowed two concerts, 32 concerts, or 132 concerts, each year.

He is optimistic, though, that the Government’s major events fund will spring into action and attract the acts Eden Park wants to host.

“I’m hopeful that Louise Upston’s major events fund is going to have a big impact on the number of artists coming this year,” he said.

“[It’s] had some impact [already] with Linkin Park, Ultrasound and the Synthony/Six60 stadium show in Christchurch, all funded. We’re yet to see if it will entice big-name artists back.”

Brent Eccles doubts Eden Park can fill its quota.

Promoters are also being cautious, with one saying gig promoters won’t go to Eden Park for medium-sized shows.

“I think that’s wishful thinking,” Brent Eccles of Eccles Entertainment told Stuff. “I think they would find it difficult to put 30 shows in there in a year.”

“If you think you’re going to sell 50,000 tickets, that’s where you’re going to go, which is fantastic. But if you were going to get 25,000, you wouldn’t go to Eden Park.”

Eccles said he was more pleased with the removal of what he called “red tape,” which he says will make it easier for promoters.

“I think, you know, the night of the week you can perform on, it needs to be cleared up so you can perform on any night, and some of the load-in and load-out logistical things,” he said.

“Good on Eden Park for working to make it easier to get into. It is fantastic, and I wish them well.”

Whether this translates into bigger acts coming back to New Zealand, Eccles is more muted.

“Now the Government has stepped up and put a bit of extra money on the table to help these artists come. I think that will attract more artists, but we are talking about four or five, not 30,” he said.