KEY POINTS:
High noon at Red Square - the new central hub of the Auckland Festival - and the streets are deserted. Lone keyboardist Grant Winterburn begins playing to an empty garden bar, his tunes barely audible over the relentless drilling of roadworks across the way.
But the empty seats
are in stark contrast to the sold-out signs going up at several AK07 shows - and the estimated 200,000 who watched the fireworks extravaganza in the Auckland Domain on Saturday night.
Festival director David Malacari said Red Square was new this year and came alive at night.
Lunchtimes would take a few days to pick up.
"It's going to take a few days for people to realise there's this pleasant area to sit down and enjoy lunch and have a good time at," said Mr Malacari. "This is the beginning."
Still, yesterday, tourists and office workers strolled past, seemingly unsure of what was going on.
None took a seat at one of numerous empty tables.
Twenty minutes ticked by before a curious trio took pity on Winterburn and pulled up a pew.
"It's not bad," said spectator Mike Walker as he sipped on a long neck. "We didn't know there was a concert, we were just curious to see what was happening down here."
Mr Walker isn't alone.
Aucklanders may have turned out in droves for Saturday night's free fireworks spectacle, but it seems many remain unaware of the festival's other offerings.
Tucked away in the backstreets behind Britomart railway station, Red Square hosts free lunchtime concerts, High Noon at Red Square, and evening shows, Sunset at Red Square, every day.
Auckland resident Nadine Beck said she stumbled across the square on Saturday night.
"I didn't have a clue there were free concerts on though," she said.
Festival organisers insist this year's event is set to be the most successful on record with five of the big shows already sold out.
Mr Malacari said ticket sales for AK07 were "heading very nicely" to the budgeted target of about $1 million, up 30 per cent on AK05.
A second, limited-ticket allocation to the burlesque cabaret show La Clique was released after the event sold out two weeks ago - but by yesterday afternoon the new tickets had sold out.
And while Aucklanders may be clueless as to what's going on, it seems international visitors are well on to it.
Deb Vallely, visiting from Melbourne, said the airport was full of advertising and information on the festival.
"It's great to see all these shows coming to Auckland."
