Aucklanders relish stadium return in sizzling summer
When Foo Fighters visited Auckland, Accor’s 15 city hotels saw strong occupancies and an average length of stay of two nights
Aucklanders and visitors have responded to the fantastic weather by returning to Auckland Stadiums venues in their thousands.
Over 220,000 visitors were welcomed to Auckland Stadiums venues (a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited) through spring and summer as the good weather saw sport, festivals and family events return in force across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Auckland Stadiums operates three stadium venues across the region: Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Western Springs Stadium and North Harbour Stadium.
Listen In kicked off the concert season with a bang back in October at Go Media Stadium. The venue then welcomed Eden Fest, a brand-new music festival to the Auckland music landscape a week later. Eden Fest’s lineup saw New Zealand superstars SIX60 complimented by international icons like Ms Lauryn Hill. Later in the summer, rock giants Foo Fighters treated a spirited full stadium crowd to an unforgettable night.
Photo credit: Stephen Parker / www.photosport.nz
Western Springs Stadium was significantly damaged during the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods, and while remediation works are ongoing, events have returned.
Packed crowds revelled in its reopening as Laneway Festival arrived in Aotearoa after a four-year hiatus. A bumper crowd of 20,000 visited the venue to enjoy huge international performers including Dominic Fike and Stormzy. Western Springs Speedway also returned for a shortened season.
Music also returned to the main arena at North Harbour Stadium for the first time in nine years, with Juicy Fest taking over the Albany-based venue in January. More than twelve thousand patrons attended the hip-hop celebration, followed by thousands more filling out North Harbour Stadium Domain just two weeks later for the annual Sunsetter Music, Food & Drink Festival.
The full return of stadium events and concerts this summer has had a direct and positive impact on Auckland’s economy, with the hospitality and tourism industries benefitting from the boost in visitor numbers.
Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PM&E, Adrian Williams, says Auckland has enjoyed excellent weather this summer and benefitted from high visitor numbers.
“In January alone, while the Foo Fighters visited Auckland for their headline stadium show at Go Media Stadium, Accor’s 15 hotels across the city saw strong occupancies and an average length of stay of two nights. We love the impact major events like these have on a city. The surge of activity and vibrant energy they bring creates a huge positive buzz, filling our hotels, restaurants and bars.”
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Director of Auckland Stadiums, James Parkinson says it was special to see Aucklanders and visitors out attending events and revelling in the sunshine, particularly after last year’s washout.
“We take immense pride in curating diverse and high-quality event programming. No matter the size of the event, we aim to create experiences that bring people together to celebrate Tāmaki Makaurau and build social cohesion. Events like these strengthen our region’s identity and create lasting memories while generating economic benefits for Auckland.”
Appetite for events of all types and sizes remains strong. Alongside the international superstars, a host of family-focused events and cultural festivals have been enjoyed throughout the summer period.
Megaland, New Zealand’s biggest inflatable obstacle course, bounced between North Harbour Stadium and Go Media Stadium, and welcomed thousands of excited families over the Christmas period. Western Springs Stadium was the home of Kiwi Slip’N’Slide, where families were able to cool-off on New Zealand’s largest water slide, built into the natural infrastructure at Western Springs using Hauraki Hill.
The events schedule for next summer is already hotting up with Pearl Jam returning to Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time in a decade. The American rock heroes announced a headline show at Go Media Stadium in November, with a second show added due to incredible demand.
Mandy has over 17 years of accommodation and tourism industry writing experience and is Editor of AccomNews & Resort News, Publisher of SchoolNews & Director of Multimedia Pty Ltd. She is a retired registered nurse with a 25-year NHS career that followed a few unforgettable years in hotel housekeeping.
