Promoter Losses On Old Rockers

The promoter of the Rock2Wgtn has blamed Easter trading laws for a $750,000 loss on the event.

Wellington-based promoter Phil Sprey brought together a line-up of hard-rock acts including Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Poison, Whitesnake and 70s glam rock band Kiss for the two-day hard rock concert at the Westpac Stadium.

Tickets initially went on sale for as much as $460 for the two days, but with slow ticket sales, heavily discounted offers of only $75 a day were made available, angering fans who had forked out the top price in advance.

Needing 54,000 people over the weekend to break even, and 58,000 to make a profit, only 50,000 attended. Sprey blamed a range of contributing factors for the low turnout, including the "emptiness" over Wellington during the weekend as a result of Easter trading laws, limited few accommodation options and other competing events both locally and nationally.

As a result, Sprey believes that his next event, which was already in the planning, would not be held in Wellington, stating that "other venues (are) offering their facilities at 10% of the cost" of the Wellington stadium.