Eden Park CEO backs PM’s calls for more concerts at Auckland stadium

Friday, 24 January 2025

Coldplay performs at Eden Park.

The CEO of Eden Park is supporting Christopher Luxon’s call for more concerts at the Auckland stadium.

Luxon said people are having to go to Australia to see shows due to a limit on how many can be held at Eden Park.

In 2024, the number of concerts allowed to be held at Eden Park increased from six to 12.

The CEO of Eden Park is backing PM Christopher Luxon’s call to have more concerts at the Auckland stadium.

In his state of the nation address on Thursday, Luxon said more New Zealanders were having to travel to Australia to attend concerts, blaming council event laws for restricting the number of shows that can take place at what is considered New Zealand’s national stadium.

“Kiwis spend thousands flying across the Tasman to see massive concerts, go out to bars and restaurants, and boost the Australian economy, when back home Eden Park sits empty because of council event rules,” Luxon said.

Luxon then went on to say Auckland Council should consider abolishing the quota of concerts allowed to take place at Eden Park.

Eden Park is allowed to host 12 concerts per year.

In a speech heavily focused on economic growth, Luxon said concerts help boost jobs and the local economy, but that a culture of saying no was preventing that.

“There’s always a reason to say no, but if we keep saying no, we’ll keep going nowhere. We need larger ports. We need more concerts,” Luxon said.

Eden Park was first permitted to host concerts in 2021, with a limit of six per year. That was eventually increased to 12 concerts per year in 2024.

Christopher Luxon wants more concerts at the Auckland stadium.

The stadium’s application to double the number of shows received over 2000 submissions, with 94% in favour of the move.

Luxon’s desire to see more concerts held at the venue has the support of Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner who said there is opportunity to host more concerts into the future.

“Eden Park is already delivering substantial benefits, but we see tremendous opportunity to do even more. We’re ready to work with all stakeholders to enhance our facilities and increase utilisation to generate even greater returns for our community and economy.”

Sautner says Eden Park attracts more than 800,000 visitors annually, resulting in a significant economic impact in terms of delivering tens of millions of dollars to Auckland.

Each event held at the ground creates over 3000 jobs.

Just some of the big shows the stadium has hosted so far include Coldplay, Billy Joel, Guns n’ Roses, Travis Scott, and Luke Combs.

Former prime minister Helen Clark is not a fan of more concerts at the stadium.

Sautner said he strongly supports Luxon’s call for a “yes economy”.

“Our evolution toward becoming a truly hybrid multi-purpose venue is already showing what’s possible. The recent transformation of our West Stand exemplifies our vision, creating new spaces that deliver different fan experiences and increase the utilisation of the stadium,” Sautner said.

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

The Lower West Stand was demolished in September, increasing the capacity of the ground by between 5000 and 10,000 spectators.

This took the total capacity of the stadium to between 55,000 and 65,000.

However, calls for more concerts have been dismissed by former prime minister Helen Clark, who labelled Luxon’s comments a rejection of sound planning law and policy.

Clark, who lives near the stadium, had previously been vocal about noise, calling it a “home invasion”.

She told the NZ Herald that sound planning allows for a wide range of planning applications to be heard, including those voicing concerns.

Clark added the council is already working through Auckland’s stadium options, a task which she said does not need intervention from central government.

In February, Auckland Council will hear feasibility proposals for a new national stadium from Eden Park and a group backing the building of a brand new stadium in the CBD.

The Eden Park Trust are seeking to redevelop the stadium, which would include increasing its capacity, building a retractable roof, and a new north stand.

The backers of a downtown stadium at Quay Park includes a vision for a new 50,000 seat stadium, as well as the building of new hotels, a hospitality precinct, and new apartments and offices.

Eden Park is next due to host American heavy metal band Metallica in November.