Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses summer shows will bring crucial boost to Wellington's hospitality sector

Kiwis will see Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters take to the stage later this year. Photo / Supplied

After two years of postponements and cancellations, Wellington is set to rock at the end of this year, with Guns N' Roses and Foo Fighters playing in the capital just one week apart.

More than 60,000 fans are expected to attend the December shows, bringing a much-needed boost to Wellington's hospitality and events sector, which has been hammered by the pandemic.

Guns N' Roses will play on December 8 - this show was previously scheduled for November 19, 2021, but was postponed due to Covid-19- then just days later Foo Fighters will take to the stage on December 15.

WellingtonNZ Events & Experiences general manager Warrick Dent says it's a great opportunity to attract people from out of town to see what Wellington has to offer.

"Major events are important in attracting out-of-town visitors to the city where they shop, dine and stay in local accommodation. These two concerts will be no exception and will bring in many millions of dollars to the local economy.

"With the two concerts scheduled for the weeks just before Christmas, they will be a great boost as we head into the holiday season."

Sky Stadium chief executive Shane Harmon says New Zealand icons Six60 are locked in too, leading to what's going to be "the perfect antidote" to the restrictions of the last two years.

"It's been a pretty brutal two years for events - last month's, in particular, have been really hard. These will bring a large number of visitors into Wellington, with three concerts announced already and hopefully more to come – it's going to be our biggest summer ever."

The news has Wellington Mayor Andy Foster excited as well.

"After all the Covid restrictions over the past two years, I am really looking forward to seeing Sky Stadium coming back to life full of music and sports fans and contributing to our city's vibrancy and supporting hospitality, retail and accommodation," he said.

And with life at red putting pressure on local bars and restaurants, Hospitality NZ Wellington president Paul Retimanu can hardly wait for the holiday season.

"Big events like the Foo Fighters and Guns N' Roses really help stimulate the hospitality sector. To say we are delighted they are coming to Wellington is an understatement. We can't wait. Wellington's events programme is shaping up to be a cracker and hospitality businesses are ready and waiting to play their part in helping locals and visitors have a memorable time. Bring it on."