The Eden Park rule changes could pave the way for a State of Origin match to be held there, possibly next year. Photo / Photosport
The number of concerts allowed each year at Auckland’s Eden Park stadium will almost triple under new rules to be confirmed today by the Government.
Among the new settings is allowing Eden Park to 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.
The changes are thought to make it easier for a State of Origin match to be held at the stadium, potentially next year.
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.
Under the new settings, events that do need to operate outside the limits will follow what the Government is calling a streamlined and simplified consenting pathway.
The rules to be announced today 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 $432 million over a 10-year period because of restrictive planning provisions. Separately, New Zealand’s national economy was forgoing $190 million 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.
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.
No deal has been announced by the Government, but the Prime Minister all but confirmed it was happening 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,” Christopher Luxon said.
“We’ve got a lot of conversations with a lot of outfits ... we have a lot of commercial sensitivities. If we could pull something like that off, it would be amazing. Wouldn’t it be great?
“The Government is in conversation. We are getting really aggressive, really ambitious, competitive in trying to secure as many major events as we can. We’ve got commercial terms that have to be closed out with lots of different options.”
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.