Auckland’s Eden Park gains consent to stage 12 concerts a year

Auckland’s Eden Park, New Zealand’s largest stadium, has gained consent to double the number of concerts it stages annually.

Consent from Auckland Council comes after Eden Park Trust, operator of the stadium, sought permission in August to hold up to 12 concert events, featuring six different artists, at the venue in a calendar year.

This has now been approved following public support that saw over 2,000 submissions, with 94% in favour of increased live music events at the stadium. Several conditions come attached to the Council’s decision, which can be appealed within 15 days.

These are that concerts must finish by 11pm local time on most days and 10.30pm on a Sunday not followed by a public holiday. Noise limits are also a continued part of the agreement.

Welcoming the consent, Eden Park Chief Executive, Nick Sautner stated "we are delighted that Eden Park has been granted consent to host up to 12 concert events. This is a landmark moment for Auckland and New Zealand's entertainment scene.

"Expanding venue availability enables us to offer artists flexibility to perform multiple shows to meet fan demand, making Auckland a more attractive stop on their global tours. Concerts at Eden Park have become integral to our country's cultural landscape, delivering significant economic and social benefits to our local community, city and country."

"Live concerts at Eden Park create over 3,000 jobs for each event and attract thousands of visitors to our city, boosting our tourism, hospitality and accommodation sectors while also providing much-needed escapism and entertainment for people.”

The consent follows Eden Park having earlier in the week welcomed over 160,000 fans for three concerts by Coldplay.

Commenting on this, Sautner added “these shows delivered millions to our GDP to demonstrate the venue's impact.

“One patron commenting: 'there is no better stadium in the world! The outpouring of love, the connection between fans, and the respectful staff ensuring attendees were well taken care of ... incomparable and sets a high standard for stadiums worldwide.'"

"Eden Park has been a cornerstone of Auckland's cultural and sporting landscape for over 120 years. This consent allows us to build on that legacy, attracting top global artists while maintaining our commitment to being a valuable asset for our community and strategic asset for New Zealand."

Images: Coldplay at Eden Park (top and below) and in concert mode (middle).