All three of New Zealand’s biggest cities received economic boosts of more than $10 million in the 2024/25 summer period, when live entertainment abounded. Economic development agencies and local businesses tell Mitchell Hageman what the results meant to them.
Aotearoa’s most populous city was also its biggest event host, with$31.9 million gained between November and March.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited credits this to concerts from Pearl Jam, Coldplay, Luke Combs, Six60 and Synthony at The Domain, which contributed 212,900 visitor nights.
“The biggest impact was created by British pop-rock band Coldplay, with 170,000 people attending across the three Auckland dates at Eden Park,” Nick Hill, the chief executive of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, tells the Herald.
“Accommodation occupancy peaked at 95.1% on Friday, November 15 – the night of the second Music of the Spheres Coldplay concert."
The economic and cultural agency also says the events heavily impacted the vibrancy of the city, as well as supporting small businesses, hotels and restaurants.
“Major events also make Auckland a great place to work, live and play – providing vibrancy to our streets and venues and an uplift in social health and wellbeing," Hill adds.
“Over the summer period, we saw an influx of visitors booking out hotels and flooding into cafes, bars and restaurants, and this is what ultimately helps many businesses get through the quieter periods.”
Hospitality NZ chief executive Steve Armitage told the Herald last year that events such as concerts were “a real boost” for businesses, including hospitality and accommodation operators.
“The run of Coldplay and Pearl Jam concerts in Auckland brought the city to life, filling our venues and restaurants with visitors keen to experience more than just the music."
This sentiment was echoed by Claire Baxter-Cardy of the Kingsland Business Society, who said the hospo community had felt first-hand the positive impacts of the big Eden Park concerts.
“We advocated quite strongly for Eden Park to get the additional concerts, because we know from, say, test matches or any of those large sporting events that there’s a 500 to 600% increase in business that night.”
She said concerts saw a wider demographic of people come to the Kingsland area, with a similar increase in business for the hospitality sector of 500 to 600%.
“If it’s a Saturday event, you’re getting these groups and families that will be there quite early, like for three or four hours before the event, really experiencing all the offerings around the Kingsland and Morningside area.”
For the P!nk concerts in 2024, Baxter-Cardy said the owner of popular pizza joint Papa’s sold out. It was their first time opening again after being closed since the Auckland Anniversary floods.
“It was so cool to see that happen. We are a community that is deeply passionate. It might be a husband or wife team, or it might be someone who owns a very small business that’s owner-operator driven.
“Every time there’s a special event, we’re getting more and more involved in the activation side of things to make sure when people come into Kingsland or come into Morningside, that there are things for them to see, things for them to do, and things for them to be involved in, as well as the great hospitality that we have.”
The capital received a $15.9m economic boost between December and March, according to tourism body WellingtonNZ.
Between December 2024 and March 2025, the city hosted 72 events. WellingtonNZ reported 211,686 people attending events over that period.
This included Jim Beam Homegrown’s final outing in the region, as well as sold-out comedy shows at the Michael Fowler Centre from the likes of Sarah Millican, Paul Smith, Jack Whitehall, and three Graham Norton shows.
Nineties rave legends Groove Armada also performed to large crowds at the TSB Arena on the waterfront.
“Events bring vibrancy, liveliness and atmosphere to Wellington for both locals and visitors – and this summer was no exception," WellingtonNZ events and experiences general manager Heidi Morton says.
Locals are seemingly on board as well, with recent research figures from WellingtonNZ revealing that 90% of Wellingtonians agreed that hosting events made Wellington a great place to live.
Guests to the region were also 88% satisfied during their stay in the capital, according to the research.
“Events don’t just fill calendars – they ignite civic pride and bring communities together. Wellingtonians are strong supporters of our events schedule and it’s important that continues,” Morton says.
“The accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors have all seen a benefit from the breadth of events that have taken place over the last few months.”
Wellington Chocolate Factory general manager Matt Williams agrees, saying major events and a stacked calendar are great not only for the business, but also for the city.
“It’s really important that businesses make the most of the opportunities on offer too, think outside the square about how they can leverage what’s happening to drive foot traffic and build up some buzz.”
Lydia Suggate, co-owner of hospitality venues Nolita, LBQ, The Botanist, Bebemos and Otto, says events are crucial for business owners during a tough economic climate.
“Events in Wellington make a huge impact for our businesses, especially when people are watching their spending a bit more these days, as they like to plan where they’re going to spend their money.”
Karaka cafe owner Paul Retimanu adds that events like Matariki and Mana Moana help bridge the gap during the quieter winter months but also give locals a reason to come out and enjoy the experiences.
For Ōtautahi Christchurch, it was Electric Avenue Festival’s two-day expansion in February that saw the biggest economic return over the summer, resulting in a visitor spend of $10.5m in the city.
Featuring major headline acts like Empire Of The Sun, The Prodigy, and Chase and Status, the festival was the biggest event for local tourism body ChristchurchNZ and is believed to have produced the largest visitor spend of any Christchurch event since the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
This summer, from December to February, there was a $12.4m visitor spend, which was just shy of the $12.8m spend of the 2023-24 December to February period.
While the 2024-25 results are still in progress, ChristchurchNZ says the figures should come close to, but may not top, the $35.7m from the full year 2022-23.
The FY22-23 period featured events such as an Elton John concert and a one-day Electric Avenue Festival.
There were also strong survey figures from FreshInfo on behalf of ChristchurchNZ that supported the city’s efforts when it came to hosting large-scale events.
The research found that 93% of resident attendees agreed that hosting events like Electric Ave increased their pride in Christchurch, and 96% agreed that hosting events like Electric Ave made Christchurch a more enjoyable place to live.
“Ōtautahi Christchurch has proven the city has the infrastructure, experience, and capability to host major events,” Karena Finnie, ChristchurchNZ head of major events, tells the Herald.
“With new venues coming on stream and the momentum we can see...we can indeed go bigger, although these opportunities require investment.”
Various businesses also supplied feedback to ChristchurchNZ about the positive impact of Electric Avenue, including Chiwahwah and Zodiac restaurants’ general manager, Amanda Keenan.
“We certainly saw an increase in sales, not just for Friday and Saturday [of the festival] but for the entire week,” Keenan says. “Overall, [there was] a 5% increase in sales for the week compared to the same week the previous month.”
Keenan also says visitors are well-behaved during their visits, adding to the positive community experience.
“Both Chiwahwah and Zodiac saw an increase in numbers through the door both nights, and our security team reported a significant decrease in denials due to intoxication compared to previous weeks, even considering the increase in headcount.”
And with the opening of the new One New Zealand Stadium set to draw thousands to the region, there will continue to be more opportunities to draw punters to the region.
Elsewhere across the country, events like the upcoming Metallica concert in Auckland and WoW and Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out in Wellington are also set to give these regions an economic boost in 2025.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.