It’s no secret that New Zealand’s biggest stadium has seen a fair bit of media attention of late.
Since 2021, it’s hosted a variety of successful events and pumped millions into the Auckland economy, something plenty in the house are keen to see go further.
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has written to Auckland Council asking for feedback on a proposal to allow up to 20 medium-sized concerts of 10,000-30,000 people a year at Eden Park, on top of the 12 concerts it currently hosts. It is also recommended the venue should be allowed to host up to 12 “large” concerts of more than 30,000 attendees a year.
A recently announced $70 million events and tourism investment package is also suggested as an initiative to draw crowds and artists to one of our most famous venues.
Even Eden Park’s CEO Nick Sautner said just yesterday that the stadium would be “extinct” if it hadn’t broadened its events programme.
We asked MPs of all ages and on all sides of the House their thoughts on the matter, and who their ideal pick would be to take the stage.
The Deputy PM was listening to guitar god Jimi Hendrix when we asked for comment. Seymour says that is who he’d pick to grace the Eden Park stage – if he were still alive.
“He may be the coolest person who ever lived. He was carefree and played so effortlessly. That would be my first choice but, sticking with guitar maestros, Mark Knopfler is my living pick.”
The groovy guitar-driven beats of Knopfler and Dire Straits bode well for Seymour. As an ex-Dancing with the Stars contestant and a guitar player himself, there’d be ample opportunity for him to bust a move should they light up Eden Park.
Also our Minister of Regulation, Seymour says he supports Bishop’s ambitions and more concerts “for the simple reason people should be free to do what they like if there’s no reason to stop them”.
And what was his favourite concert?
“The Feelers at Kensington Stadium in Whangārei when I was in fourth form. So many since but I’ll always remember that one.”
Julie Anne Genter has never managed to get tickets to a live Radiohead show in all the 27 years of them being her favourite band, purely because they sell out so fast.
“It would be great if they could play Eden Park – provided I get a seat,” the Green Party MP says.
Frontman Thom Yorke sold out Spark Arena last year, and Genter is among many Kiwis who would be rapt to see the full group in all its glory.
Genter agrees it would be great if we could get more use out of Eden Park for concerts. She also champions the Greens’ 2009 home insulation programme so “homes are less adversely affected by noise, which is helpful in urban areas”.
Her gig highlights include The National playing at Villa Maria on a sunny January evening in 2018, Pearl Jam playing a Big Day Out in Auckland, and Iceland band Sigur Ros’ mind-bending show at Vector Arena.
“But the most memorable experience may have been when Rage Against the Machine turned up to play a surprise free show in the middle of a 10,000-person-strong political protest I was attending in Los Angeles outside the DNC in 2000. It was peaceful, but we were surrounded by hundreds cops in riot gear, with helicopters flying overhead, adding to the ambience.”
The man in charge would love the Gallagher brothers of Oasis to return to Australasia and headline Eden Park.
Just like Coldplay last year, there’s no doubt the boys from Manchester could sell out three or more shows, so it’s clear why Luxon is in favour of getting big events to Auckland in order to boost the economy.
As for his favourite concert, our PM took the safe option, with everyman Ed Sheeran’s 2023 Eden Park gig (he went with daughter Olivia) coming in at top spot. Sheeran has a great voice, and provides a night of family friendly, wholesome fun – a perfectly inoffensive pick from the PM.
The MP for Kelston in West Auckland, and Labour’s spokesperson for Auckland issues and women, wants exactly that on Eden Park’s stage – more women.
“It would be a divas tour – Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey. If she were still alive, this concert would have been headlined by Whitney Houston,” she says of her dream Eden Park headliners.
And while her ideal show is full of American superstars, she says the best concert she’s ever been to was all homegrown: Six60 at Eden Park.
“We had just come out of Covid restrictions,” she recalls. “There was the most wonderful sense of nationhood and unity on the night and relief to be able to come together. It was quite an emotional experience.”
Sepuloni supports the idea of more big concerts at Eden Park, and wider Tāmaki Makaurau, too.
“We’ve got a lot on offer in Auckland and would certainly welcome the economic boost any big events bring.”
Stanford, just like her boss and many of her colleagues, clearly likes a good mix if rock and pop.
Her responses were pretty short and sweet, telling us she would like to see the legendary Queen (who now perform with Adam Lambert as the frontman, replacing Freddie Mercury) headline at the fortress.
They’ve sold out Mt Smart and Spark Arena a few times over the years, so it’s good shout from the education minister.
Simply put, “Yes” was Stanford’s response to whether she supports the reform proposal, in line with her National Party caucus.
She’s also no stranger to wanting stadiums to get bums on seats, evident by her drive to garner support for the oft unused North Shore Stadium in her Albany electorate (which, amazingly, once hosted Cher).
And who knew she also had a surprising penchant for punk? Stanford said her favourite concert ever was Green Day, who performed Spark Arena in 2017.
One of Parliament’s resident DJ’s, Green MP Tamatha Paul says her dream act comes from closer to home: she’d love to see one of her friends who make music headline Eden Park.
“I’d love to see MĀ or Dartz – the greatest band from Wellington, NZ – play Eden Park. I feel that would be the ultimate accomplishment for New Zealand artists to play the biggest venue in their home country,” she says.
Hey, if Six60 can do it, the sky’s the limit right?
Paul is in support of the reform to get more gigs going at Eden Park but also thinks there are other ways the Government could support touring around New Zealand.
“It is outrageously expensive to tour in New Zealand. One of the biggest costs for musicians is flying equipment around. Australian airlines like Qantas allow musicians to have free equipment bags – I would love Air New Zealand to do something similar. It’s great for local artists and it’s great for local economies.”
She also thinks there’s need for an arena in her own backyard of Wellington and encouraged people to back the city’s local independent small and medium-sized venues.
Although it skipped Aotearoa this time round, Paul says Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter Tour overseas was “hands down” the best concert of her life.
“Four hours of non-stop performing, singing and dancing. I may have cried for the entire four hours.”
Perhaps Queen Bey might also return to Auckland for her next big tour.
It was almost guaranteed the man pushing for more concerts at Eden Park would pick his all-time-favourite band Shihad to headline – with Andrew Brough’s classic Kiwi rock band Bike as opener.
Chris Bishop’s love of the now-defunct homegrown rock heroes is well documented, as evident from his numerous NZ Music Month shirt pictures and regular concert attendance.
One memorable event, however, sticks out among the rest: “Shihad, Weta and Fur Patrol at Wellington Town Hall, 2000.” A fair few “Bishmullets” would have been on display at that gig.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.