Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photo / Photosport
The chief executive of Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin has resigned after 18 months in the role, as a wait for major concerts at the venue continues.
It has been more than two years since the stadium last held a top international concert.
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML) confirmed that Paul Doorn had been appointed to an “exciting international opportunity” and will leave his southern role, with further details yet to be announced.
The departure comes shortly after the Dunedin City Council approved increased funding for the stadium, including an additional $1.25 million in its draft Annual Plan, with a further $1.25m for the following year, principally aimed at managing and controlling stadium debt.
It also coincides with the upcoming opening of Christchurch’s Te Kaha One New Zealand stadium next weekend.
The new covered stadium, which will have a 30,000 capacity for sports and 37,500 for concerts, will further intensify competition for major acts in the South Island.
While Dunedin’s stadium has no announced upcoming concerts, Christchurch is already locking in a packed calendar, with Six60 opening the venue’s music programme on May 16, followed by Robbie Williams on November 28 and the Foo Fighters on January 19.
It will also host Super Round from April 24 - 26, with 10 Super Rugby Pacific teams to play five matches at the central city stadium.
According to DVML’s latest annual report, the organisation recorded a $48,000 loss in the year to June 2025, compared with a $208,000 profit the previous year, while revenue fell from $17.4m to $11.7m.
The report also shows Doorn received total remuneration of $259,000.
DVML chair Lee Piper said: “We are immensely proud of Paul and the recognition his new appointment will bring to our organisation and our city. The Board thanks Paul for his leadership and contribution to Dunedin Venues.
“He leaves the organisation in strong shape, with a dedicated team, solid commercial partnerships and an exciting number of initiatives on track to improve our event pipeline. We will move promptly to commence a thorough search for his permanent successor.”
Doorn said: “Leaving Dunedin is bittersweet. This is a city with heart, incredible people, and venues that punch well above their weight on the national and international stage. I am deeply grateful to the Board, our team, our partners, and the wider community for their support.
“The opportunity ahead is once in a career. My experience at Forsyth Barr Stadium, the Dunedin Centre, and across the broader Australasian venue industry has been the foundation for this next chapter. I will always be proud of my time in Dunedin and will remain an ambassador for this extraordinary city.”
His tenure coincided with an extended gap in major concerts at the stadium. The last was Pink in March 2024.
Since then, the venue has hosted a range of events, including an All Blacks test match, Monster Trucks, Freestyle Kings, Beerfest and community events such as Nature Dome and Moana Nui Festival.
Doorn said DVML could not comment on potential future concerts before formal announcements.
“As a general principle, DVML is not able to comment on or confirm any future major concert bookings at Forsyth Barr Stadium prior to a formal announcement being made by the promoter.
“This applies to artists that may be contracted, in negotiation, or under consideration, including any potential timeframes.”
He said gaps between international touring acts were influenced by factors largely outside the venue’s control.
“More broadly, gaps between international touring acts are influenced by a range of factors largely outside the venue’s control - including global touring cycles, New Zealand’s geographic location within tour routings, artist availability, and promoter economics.
“DVML continues to work closely with promoters and industry partners to position Forsyth Barr Stadium as a compelling option when tours are being planned.”
City councillor Steve Walker said Doorn would be a loss.
“First off, I think Mr Doorn is a big loss, smart guy, strategically focused and excellent to work with - I’m not surprised he’s been snatched away.”
On the lack of major concerts, Walker said: “Listen, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a major concert every month, but the way major artists now tour has changed beyond recognition since the stadium was completed. Major artists are playing more gigs at fewer high population venues, often with large subsidy payments as part of the deal.
“The artists and promoters, rightly or wrongly want the best return on their investment.”
He said the organisation’s current strategy reflected those changes.
“To continue ‘as is’ would be death by a thousand cuts for the stadium. The recognition that we repurpose the stadium design using ‘curtains’ will allow us to attract many of the tier 2 artists that currently pass Dunedin by.
“It also opens the door for more sports (tennis, basketball etc) and more regular community use of the stadium, that hopefully involves our burgeoning youth music scene - it’s a no-brainer, and strategically smart to be honest.”
Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis said the city’s stadium was overbuilt for occasional peak events and should instead focus on everyday community use.
“We have an awful lot of infrastructure that’s set up basically for those peak events,” he said.
“Then we carry that infrastructure without really using it for long periods in between these occasional large-scale events.”
Vandervis said he did not see a future where large-scale events increased in Dunedin.
He said rugby was losing popularity and Dunedin was increasingly missing out on major events to northern centres.
“We’re losing events to up north anyway, for obvious reasons.”
He criticised the council’s recent decision to approve more funding for the stadium, as well as DVML’s plans to install a curtain system to cater to mid-size events.
“We might increase a few more events that way. But the enormous cost of the curtain itself, and then the as-yet unquantified costs of reinforcing the roof structure to hold tonnes of curtain, lighting and sound equipment… all of those costs are such that it’s simply not going to be viable," he said.
Councillor Mickey Treadwell said the issue was not unique to Dunedin.
“The lack of big international acts is something the whole country is grappling with. I would personally love to see Kendrick come through three times a year, but the international touring model just isn’t as profitable for these big artists as it once was.”
He said more announcements were expected.
“Fortunately, Paul Doorn and the team have done some really amazing mahi to bring big events in the city, which you’ll hear about in the coming months.”
Treadwell said a broader approach was needed.
“What we need is a country-wide conversation about these large-scale events, because having cities competing for a diminishing pool of acts doesn’t help anyone except the booking companies.
“My dream would be to see more local acts in these big venues.”
Earlier this month, DVML announced plans for a “Capacity Reduction System”, using retractable curtains to transform the stadium into multiple configurations ranging from 3000 seats to its full 38,000 capacity.
“Dunedin is moving to end a years-long concert drought, with plans to reconfigure Forsyth Barr Stadium into a scalable arena designed to attract mid-sized touring acts currently bypassing the city,” DVML said in its proposal.
At the time, Doorn said the move was aimed at attracting mid-sized shows that were “now the fastest-growing segment.”
“Rather than waiting for content to return, we are investing in our ability to attract it,” he said.
The resignation follows that of Doorn’s predecessor, Terry Davies, who stepped down in 2024.
All scheduled events and commercial partnerships will continue as planned while DVML begins the search for a new chief executive.
Doorn is set to depart the role in May.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.