Cricket tops bill in super season of big events

Brendan McCullum. Photo / Paul Estcourt

A huge summer of international events in Auckland will hit fever pitch over the weekend of March 14-15 when the ICC Cricket World Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Pasifika Festival, Auckland Arts Festival and an Eagles concert will all jostle for the city's attention.

A jam-packed calendar that also includes the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines, a host of concerts and festivals and triathlon and ironman races means Auckland is set to usher in its biggest summer of major events. "We are going to have a hell of a lot of fun," said Martin Snedden, the former international cricketer now responsible for running the Nines as Duco Events' chief executive.

Ticket sales for the Nines were ahead of this time last year and Mr Snedden said he was "fairly comfortable" the tournament would again be a sell-out.

The marquee ICC World Cup Cricket match between New Zealand and Australia on February 28 was also shaping as a sellout, said Therese Walsh, the head of the event's New Zealand organising committee.

"It's shaping as the biggest match of the tournament," Ms Walsh said. 'The general ticket allocation is pretty much exhausted, which is unprecedented."

Many of the city's public spaces will be transformed into "fanzones" to allow the public to fully engage with a bumper summer of events.

A family-friendly "urban village green" at Takutai Square will play host to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Fanzone, featuring a range of interactive activities and live match coverage on the big screen.

A 4.4km walking Fan Trail from the city to Eden Park will be activated for all three Auckland pool matches, with an adopt-a-second team and street dressing programme to engage town centres throughout the region.

The NRL Auckland Nines Festival and Fanzone will be at Aotea Square from Friday January 30 to Sunday February 1. The events will kick off on Friday with an opportunity to meet 288 players from all 16 NRL teams.

When the Volvo Ocean Race Village opens, Auckland's Eastern Viaduct, Te Wero Island and Halsey Wharf will be transformed in anticipation of the fleet arrival for the 17-day stopover.

The packed programme of activities includes live music and entertainment, all match races on the big screen and the Have a Go programme - giving people a free opportunity to experience sailing.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown said the fanzones would provide opportunities for Aucklanders and visitors to enjoy the family-friendly summer events action.

"Major events play an important role in helping Auckland to become the world's most liveable city," Mr Brown said. "I'm encouraging locals and visitors to experience the stellar line-up of sport, art, culture and music events."

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development chief executive Brett O'Riley said the huge summer demonstrated the success of the city's major events strategy, which was now into its fourth year. "We're on track to reach one million events-related visitor nights."

Auckland Transport is launching a special NRL Auckland Nines Hop Card for the event. The 24-hour day pass will provide access to all of the city's buses, trains and ferries as well as providing discounts to a host of tourist attractions. The card can be purchased from Ticketek for $25.