Eden Park welcomes Government focus on attracting global events

Eden Park welcomes today’s announcement of a $70m boost for major events and tourism, including a new contestable fund to secure large-scale, global events for New Zealand.

The benefits of major events are clear. Ticket-holders become tourists, with hotels, restaurants, bars and local businesses all seeing a boost. At Eden Park alone, more than 3,000 event-day staff are employed, many of them students or people picking up additional work. Since the 2011 Rugby World Cup redevelopment, events at Eden Park have delivered more than $1 billion in GDP benefit to the Auckland region.

Eden Park Chief Executive Nick Sautner said the fund is a vital step in keeping New Zealand competitive.

“Last year Eden Park secured consent to host up to 12 concerts featuring six artists. That consent gives us the flexibility to have conversations with international promoters. This new funding pool will now allow New Zealand to compete head-to-head for the world’s biggest artists and events.

“New Zealanders deserve a wide variety of entertainment offerings. Events that provide escapism, bring people together, and create memories that last a lifetime. What’s more, international artists leave as advocates for New Zealand. This gives us confidence in our discussions with promoters and event organisers about the potential of New Zealand as a destination.

As New Zealand’s largest stadium, Eden Park is uniquely positioned to host global events of scale. With Australia’s eastern states actively competing for content and providing seed funding to secure it, today’s Government announcement will go a long way to ensuring New Zealand remains competitive.

“Every dollar spent on a ticket to a global event at Eden Park is a dollar spent in New Zealand’s economy. What we are seeing now is Kiwis earning $5,000 here and spending it in Australia. We want them to spend it here supporting local jobs, businesses and our wider economy.”

Eden Park also looks forward to working alongside Government to ensure the fund achieves its objective of attracting events that drive economic growth.

“To make the most of this fund, we need to secure the right event for the right stadium. That’s why supporting the contestable fund with a clear national stadium strategy is critical,” Mr Sautner said.

Eden Park is already planning for a decade of global events including the 2026 Indian men’s cricket tour, the 2027 Women’s British & Irish Lions Tour, the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and the 2029 Men’s Lions Tour. Today’s announcement is a vital step in ensuring that New Zealand remains on the global stage, delivering events that enrich communities, drive tourism and economic growth, and inspire future generations.