Gin Wigmore. File photo / Dean Purcell
Live bands, cultural performances and even fire dancers are some of the big acts at this weekend's fan zones which organisers hope will reel in the fans.
A variety of talent will be shown off at the different regional fan zones in Albany, Henderson and Mangere.
In Albany today, in the lead-up to the bronze final between Australia and Wales, soul/funk/reggae band The Rooftop Collective will take to the stage, before The Black Seeds perform at 7pm.
Sunday's entertainment includes Kiwi soul band Very Tall Stories on at 5.15pm and a cultural performance from the Pasifika Highlights group.
The headline act, at 7.30pm, will feature Kiwi songstress Ladi6, who is up for five categories in this year's Vodafone NZ Music Awards.
In West Auckland, Kiwi Australian Idol Stan Walker will be the headline act, on at 6.45pm, before the bronze final shows on the big screen.
On Sunday, the Black Seeds will be on stage from 7pm at this fan zone.
South Auckland's fan zone in Mangere boasts an exciting line-up on both days.
Today's event has a band and dance competition starting in the afternoon, before Kiwi hip-hop star King Kapisi is on at 5.50pm.
A Hawaiian fire knife group is expected to get the crowd excited just before the game.
On Sunday, there's a traditional Tongan brass band, and the Fatherz & Sonz choir is on at 5.30pm before hip-hop royal Savage rocks the stage.
Meanwhile, at the main fan zone at Queens Wharf from 4pm today, Kiwi bands Shihad, the Earlybirds and the Datsuns will be performing to the masses, and on Sunday from 3pm, Gin Wigmore, bands Avalanche City, Cut Off Your Hands and the Checks will be bumping up the entertainment factor.
Auckland Council chief executive Doug McKay, who heads the Auckland Management Committee overseeing the city's operations for the cup, said more effort was being put into encouraging people to attend the three regional fan zones, which had a total capacity of 26,000 people.
On the weekend of the quarter-finals 3000 people attended the three fan zones and there were 11,000 for the semifinals last weekend.
Albany was the most successful, followed by Mangere. The fan zone at the Trusts Stadium in Henderson had not taken hold, he said.
Mr McKay said people were also being encouraged to go to local business districts, such as Takapuna, Ponsonby Rd and Parnell, because of the finite capacity at the fan zones.
Given that the All Blacks were in the final, there was a public holiday on Monday and the long-range weather forecast was reasonably good for Sunday, Mr McKay said the organisers were expecting a "significant uplift" in the number of people on the waterfront.
With Party Central at Queens Wharf expected to quickly fill to its capacity of 12,000, the management committee was seeking a change to the liquor licence on Captain Cook Wharf to increase the capacity from 10,000 to 14,000 and create a fan zone on Marsden Wharf with a capacity of 4500.
Mr McKay said communications would be in place to direct fans to the other fan zone on the waterfront at Madden St in the Wynyard Quarter.
Organisers are putting on an extra 60 buses tomorrow, most of which will be based at Britomart.
LET US ENTERTAIN YOU
Northern Lights Albany Lakes, Civic Cres, Albany.
Outrageously West Trusts Stadium, Central Park Drive, Henderson.
Southern Seas Mangere Town Centre, Bader Drive, Mangere (Note: This fan zone is alcohol-free).
Auckland waterfront Queens Wharf.
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