Eden Park is set to host the first State of Origin match outside Australia in 40 years as the number of concerts allowed annually at the Auckland stadium will almost triple.
Among the new settings confirmed by the Government today, Eden Park will host up to 12 large concerts and 20 medium-sized concerts a year on any day without the need for resource consent. That’s up from the current 12, which cannot be from more than six different artists or acts.
Night-time sport will also be allowed on any day, including Sundays, as long as the games finish by 10.30pm.
Auckland secured State of Origin for 2027 after three years of high-level talks with the NRL and the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and others confirmed the details of the State of Origin fixture in a press conference at Eden Park at 7am.
Luxon described the announcement as “incredibly exciting”.
“We are really excited to be hosting the State of Origin here in 2027.
“For many of us, for kids like me who grew up in the 80s watching some fantastic battles, Mum and Dad would let us stay up late and watch these heroes on TV.”
Luxon said securing an Origin game was a very significant moment for rugby league in New Zealand.
“It’s going to inspire young players and help to grow the game nationally and it’s also going to grow our economy and put New Zealand on the map as a place of world class destination for major events.”
Brown said major events build confidence and create momentum.
“Auckland is a great sporting city, so it’s fantastic that an iconic event like State of Origin will be coming here next year.”
“This city is the home of rugby league in New Zealand and thanks to the recent success of the Warriors, the sport here has never been bigger.
“From the outset, Auckland made it clear we wanted to bring State of Origin to our city, and we’ve worked hard to secure it.
“We know how to host major events, and we know the value they bring.”
The rugby league game would need to start later in the evening to suit audiences in New South Wales and Queensland. Some one-off approvals might be needed if a match were to go past 10.30pm.
Auckland Council has estimated hosting State of Origin is expected to attract more than 10,000 international visitors from Australia and inject $17.4 million into the economy.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the announcement made by National to bring more events to Eden Park was a step in the right direction.
“I think more major events will be good for New Zealand, including good for Auckland,” Hipkins said.
“It’s important for the Auckland economy. Events like the America’s Cup, for example, brought a lot to Auckland. They brought a lot of investment in Auckland and that’s a positive thing.
“I think we do need to have a good conversation between central and local government about how we fund that on an ongoing basis, and we should leave the options on the table.”
Hipkins refuted claims the Government didn’t consider the impact of these events impacting local residents.
“Major stadia around the world are often in residential zones, and one of the things about living in those residential zones is you do have to be willing to put up with a little more disruption,” he said.
“Eden Park and the Auckland Council still need to work with the affected residents to look at whether there are things that need to change, like the width of the footpaths and just all of those practical things they need to make sure they’re working through that.”
However, he was on the fence about which Origin team he intended supporting.
“That’s always a bit of a dilemma. I’m going to be a diplomat,” Hipkins said.
“There’s roughly equal number of Kiwis living in both states, so I think I’ll just hedge my bets and stay out of it.”
Eden Park’s 50,000-seat capacity is expected to sell out, with strong interest anticipated from both New Zealand and Australian fans.
Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys said the growth of rugby league in New Zealand in recent years has been “nothing short of extraordinary”.
“State of Origin isn’t just a football match – it’s a cultural phenomenon. It’s the greatest rivalry in Australian sport, and in 2027 it will be showcased on one of the most famous sporting stages in the world.
“The eyes of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and beyond will be on Eden Park, and it will be a milestone moment for the game.”
Former New South Wales State of Origin player and representative Ryan Hoffman described State of Origin as a “jewel in the rugby league ground”.
“It really is. It’s the greatest product or game our game produces.”
Former Queensland player and representative Johnathan Thurston said the opportunity will mean great competition.
“State of Origin to Auckland ... you know a game’s built on rivalries and there’s no bigger rivalry than State of Origin so to have it over here, there’s no doubt tickets will sell out in matter of minutes.”
The new rules for Eden Park, first revealed by the Herald this morning, are expected to be in place by April.
They follow an investigation into whether the current rules set down under the Auckland Unitary Plan are limiting economic growth.
Resource Management Act Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the investigation had found the current rules were “overly restrictive, out of step with modern stadium use and were directly constraining economic activity”.
One report found “there is a negative net impact on economic growth and employment, at both a regional and national level, because of restrictive planning provisions associated with Eden Park”.
The Property Economics report estimated the Auckland region was foregoing up to $432m over a 10-year period because of restrictive planning provisions. Separately, New Zealand’s national economy was forgoing $190m over that period.
It said economic activity could have supported hundreds of additional jobs in Auckland and beyond.
The investigation recommended several changes, all of which have been accepted by the Government, with some technical amendments made to reflect feedback from Auckland Council.
The key changes include allowing 12 large concerts (meaning more than 30,000 people in attendance) each year, as well as 20 medium concerts (10,000-30,000 people).
These can occur on any day and will be considered permitted activities that do not require a resource consent. The maximum duration for a concert must not exceed eight hours and it must finish by 11pm.
At the moment, up to 12 concerts a year are allowed, performed by no more than six different artists or acts. No concerts are allowed on a Sunday (unless it’s before a public holiday) and there are time limits, depending on the day of the event.
The current rules also limit how many concerts can occur within a four-week period and require at least one weekend within every 35 days to be free of concerts. These settings are being removed.
“The changes also enable a wider range of events, including exhibitions, displays, markets, fairs, trade fairs and cultural and community events,” Bishop said.
As a default, sporting matches can be held on any day, as long as they finish by 10.30pm.
Currently, no night-time sport is allowed on a Sunday and most games must end by 9.30pm (cricket can go to 10pm). There are also various rules around how many games can be held within certain periods.
Under the new settings, there will be three noise standards that set what the Government sees as suitable levels for everyday activities, sports and concerts.
Stadium lighting will be allowed for longer. Currently, it must be turned off by 11pm, but that will be extended to midnight.
Events needing to operate outside the limits will follow what the Government is calling a streamlined and simplified consenting pathway.
Australian media reported earlier this month that a $5m deal had been done between the Government and the Australian Rugby League Commission for New Zealand to host the second game of the 2027 State of Origin series.
The annual best-of-three series, in which representative teams from New South Wales and Queensland face off, attracts big crowds and television audiences.
The Prime Minister all but confirmed it was happening last week while speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking last week.
“It would be quite something. It would be quite a coup if we pulled it off,” Luxon said.
The Government is hailing the Eden Park rule changes as a major win.
“We know big events deliver,” Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said in a statement. “For example, over three years, 14 Auckland shows (including Coldplay and Pearl Jam) generated $33.7m for the local economy with 490,000 attendees.
“These changes sit alongside the Government’s $70m events and tourism investment package announced in September, which is about helping New Zealand compete internationally, attract world-class events and give both visitors and locals more reasons to get out and enjoy them.”
Auckland Minister Simeon Brown said Eden Park was a critical piece of infrastructure for the country, so it made sense to let it operate like a modern, world-class stadium.
“It means more jobs, more activity for local businesses, and more opportunities for people – whether they live here or are visiting – to enjoy more events at our largest stadium.”
The changes will be delivered via regulations that require Auckland Council to amend its plan without the usual processes.
Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.