Helen Clark: Eden Park ‘not even close’ to hitting its peak events limit
Tuesday, 16 September 2025
A local residents group near Auckland’s Eden Park is welcoming the possibility of more live events taking place at the stadium.
It comes as former prime minister Helen Clark, who lives near the venue, has questioned why the Government is looking to boost Eden Park’s capacity to hold live events given the venue hasn’t managed to reach its existing concert quota.
An investigation into whether red tape was holding back the national stadium was announced on Monday by RMA reform minister Chris Bishop, who said “local rules and constraints” could be restricting Eden Park’s ability to host events.
Currently, the stadium can host six artists playing 12 shows per year.
“These shows can only take place on certain days of the week, can only have a maximum duration of five hours, have to be finished by 11pm on weekdays, and can host no more than four concerts in a four-week period,” Bishop said on Monday.
Shona Tagg from the Eden Park Residents’ Association said locals wanted the stadium to be used for more things.
“Whether that's concerts, whether that's sporting events [or] … cultural events, our members want Eden Park used more and 92% of them like living near Eden Park, so we think that they will welcome this investigation to simplify the rules to have more activity,” she told The Post.
Tagg believed that perceived frustration from locals about living near the venue was blown out of proportion.
“We know who our members are. We survey them. They live locally. We talk to many people in the community and struggle to find many people that object. There are definitely more people that are supportive of Eden Park and activities and events there than negative.”
Clark, however, has previously been vocal in her opposition to Eden Park hosting more concerts.
She said the venue “is not even close” to hitting its maximum events limit, “so it’s not clear what the problem is that the Government seems to think it needs to solve”.
“The current limits and conditions were not only imposed for local environmental impacts, but also for the wider commuting public, as major events at the park impact many roads, including most directly Sandringham Rd which is a major arterial route,” she said over text.
“Whether events are at Eden Park or elsewhere, the economic impact for Auckland is the same. The most appropriate stance for the Government would to be venue-neutral in its desire to attract events.”
Since Eden Park’s ability to host concerts was first relaxed in 2021, when it could only host a maximum of six concerts per year, major performers who have visited the iconic venue include Pink, Coldplay and New Zealand’s own Six60.
But since the number of maximum live events was doubled to 12 late last year, the number of concerts held there has declined.
This year has only seen country star Luke Combs perform two shows.Metal band Metallica is locked in for one gig this November - the sole announced concert on Eden Park’s calendar. That’s just three events across the entire year.
Big name artists like Lady Gaga, Oasis and Kendrick Lamar are all due Down Under in the coming months, but won’t be visiting Aotearoa.
Bishop blames the current restrictions for preventing more concerts from being held at the stadium.
“They can't have more than four concerts in a four week period, and they can't have them on Sunday night, and they've got time limits as to when the concerts are allowed to finish, and a whole range of other restrictions,” he said.
“I'm not a Coldplay fan, but if Coldplay want to come down and play four concerts in a row, then you want to have four concerts from Pearl Jam - much more into that … And you want to have 10 different acts playing. My view is that we should take a good look at that.”
Tagg agreed, saying that locals wanted some of the “red tape” cut back.
“It's about the fact that the rules that Eden Park has to operate under are different for different things. So if it's a sporting event … that depends on what day, what time of year, what they can do and how it can work. Then there's different rules for concerts.”
But Clark believed the Government should focus on the “bigger picture” of getting major events to Auckland.
“On both its watch and that of the previous government, the hosting of the America’s Cup defence has moved offshore, denying Auckland and New Zealand as a whole the benefit of the visitors which that attracts.”
Clark said that a hotel bed levy, the preferred option of Auckland’s mayor Wayne Brown, should be supported instead to help rev up hospitality industry.
Over the weekend, the Government moved to make it easier for large events to take place in New Zealand, announcing a new multimillion-dollar fund that included $40m to secure large-scale international events from 2026.
On Sunday, Eden Park’s boss Nick Sautner said that could mean more concerts at the stadium.
“We will be out in the market as of this afternoon talking to promoters in both New Zealand and Australia.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that he recognised there would be a range of views about Eden Park hosting more events, which was why the inquiry would include consultation.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Louise Upston said it wasn’t just about getting live music to Eden Park, but events in general.
“It's for sporting events, it's for expos, festivals, shows, all sorts of things,” she said.
Sautner wasn’t available for an interview, but in a statement said he welcomed the recent announcements by the Government.
“We have consistently advocated for Eden Park’s ability to deliver greater benefit to the city and the country. That work includes ongoing engagement with central and local government, alongside regular conversations with our local community and stakeholders,” he said.
“We are committed to continuing that collaboration and to keeping the community informed as more details become available. This announcement represents a step forward for Auckland’s visitor economy and provides economic opportunity for local businesses.“