Tauranga’s Mercury Baypark Arena increases capacity and partners with leading ticketing provider

Mercury Baypark Arena. Photo / NZME

Tauranga’s largest indoor venue for concerts has just got a lot bigger.

Mercury Baypark Arena in Mount Maunganui can now host up to 6000 people inside its Lion Foundation Centre, a jump from its previous capacity of 3700.

Bay Venues, the organisation that manages the arena, said in a media statement it now made it one of the larger spaces in the country of its type.

It has also signed a preferred ticketing partnership for Mercury Baypark with Ticketek.

“Our partnership with Ticketek means we can now offer event promoters and organisers access to a full-service ticketing option, and they will be working alongside a reputable provider and trusted brand with significant reach,” Bay Venues head of events Michelle Stevens said.

“This is going to give our event clients and their patrons a range of benefits, including targeted marketing opportunities and amplified promotion, data analytics, and advanced ticketing technology.”

Stevens said the work undertaken by health and safety and engineering experts to review and improve Mercury Baypark Arena’s capacity to host higher occupancy events had also brought the venue into the same category as the likes of TSB Arena in Wellington and GLOBOX Arena/Claudelands Events Centre in Hamilton.

“Our increased venue capacity and our new partnership with Ticketek, when combined, could mean many exciting things as we look ahead to the future, including bigger and better concerts for New Zealand’s fifth biggest city and the wider Bay of Plenty region,” she said.

Ticketek general manager James McKee said the changes would “bring a range of meaningful content to the region from quality international family shows to major comedy, spoken word and artists from all around the world”.

“As the flexibility and capacities of Mercury Baypark continue to evolve, a partnership with Ticketek and our content partner TEG just makes more sense,” he said.

Tauranga City Council manager venues and events Nelita Byrne said the increase in capacity of Mercury Baypark Arena was “a game-changer” for the city.

“It makes it more viable for promoters and event organisers to bring the larger indoor concerts to the city, meaning our community don’t have to travel out of town to attend these wonderful entertainment experiences and instead spend their money locally.”