Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium: No international acts until 2021

Fans are still waiting on an update from promoters about whether a Rod Stewart concert, booked for Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium in November, will go ahead. Photo / Getty Images

International acts are unlikely to perform in Dunedin before the end of next year, the company that manages Forsyth Barr Stadium has said.

Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive Terry Davies said its statement of intent for the year ending June 30, 2021, made the prediction that international acts might not return until "late 2021", but that the comment was just that, a prediction, as there were many unknowns.

"We can only make estimations at this time and all activity will be dependent on the border situation."

All the company could do was wait and be ready to deliver major events.

It was waiting on an update from promoters about whether a Rod Stewart concert, booked for the stadium in November, would go ahead.

Tickets would remain on sale until a decision was made, Mr Davies said.

The organisation has experienced a run of cancellations and postponements across its venues since March.

The Hella Mega Tour, headlined by Green Day, scheduled to play at the stadium on November 20, was cancelled two weeks ago.

Scotland were due to take on the All Blacks in a July rugby match which was postponed.

Opera band Bravo Amici, scheduled to perform in May, postponed their show for a year.

A concert by English rock band Herman's Hermits, scheduled for September, was postponed for a year, and a gig by Th' Dudes - scheduled for April - was postponed until the end of this year.

The company is forecasting a $372,000 loss in 2020-21, and a further $491,000 loss in 2021-22.

But it hopes to recoup its losses, predicting a profit of $904,000 in 2022-23.

"However, as mentioned, until our border opens there are many unknowns," Mr Davies said.

Despite the setbacks, many business events postponed at the outbreak of Covid-19 had since been rebooked for the latter part of this year, and there would "very likely" be more Kiwi artists touring, he said.

"The Dunedin Centre has been humming since we reached alert level 1.

"We are certainly open for business."