Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has criticised the Government and claimed it is spending $3 million to bring Robbie Williams to New Zealand. Photo / NZH, Getty Images
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has criticised the Government and claimed it is spending $3 million to bring Robbie Williams to New Zealand. Photo / NZH, Getty Images
The CEO of New Zealand’s largest stadium has hit out at Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown after he claimed the Government spent $3 million to bring Robbie Williams to New Zealand.
Brown made the claim when he spoke to the media after a Committee for Auckland event this morning, wherehe referred to the Government’s major events fund as a “slush fund”.
“They put $3 million ahead to have a tattooed Pom come here and sing. We’ve got lots of tattooed singers here,” Brown claimed.
The comment appeared to refer to British pop star Robbie Williams, whose concerts are set to come to Kiwi shores in November.
It has not yet been officially confirmed how much may have been spent to lure the star to New Zealand.
The Herald approached Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston’s office for comment on the $3m claim. A spokesperson said Brown was “best placed to comment on his own remarks”.
They also included a release from March where Upston said the Williams tour was thanks to support from the Government’s $70 million Major Events and Tourism Package announced in September 2025.
“The Events Attraction Package investments are commercially sensitive, and individual amounts will not be released. In total, the Government allocated $40 million for the Events Attraction Package,” Upston said.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner told Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive that he was not privy to the level of support the New Zealand Government put forward for Williams.
“What I would say is that we welcomed the major event fund. And if a major event fund had been in position earlier, the likelihood of getting Taylor Swift or Oasis or Lady Gaga would have been much higher,” he said.
Sautner said large concerts were beneficial for the city, saying when Pink was in Auckland 97% of hotel beds were full, and 3000 people were employed at Eden Park.
“The reality is this is a strategic investment, and when people come ... they come as a ticket holder and leave as a tourist. And we want our people to stay here,” he said.
Sautner said he was “really disappointed” to hear Brown’s comments.
“Part of his role is to advocate for our city. Now, I’m not privy to the investment level. What I am privy to is the fact that the Government took a leadership position on getting major events back into the country,” he said.
Sautner said he hoped that Williams would get an opportunity to meet Brown when he was in town.
Robbie Williams will bring his Britpop Tour down under in November 2026. Photo / Robbie Williams
Chris Hipkins slams use of fund
Meanwhile, Labour leader Chris Hipkins accused ministers of using the major events fund to subsidise their “favourite band or sports team”.
“Major events funding shouldn’t be a slush fund for subsidising your favourite band or sports team, many of whom would come here anyway. It should be about working to attract the kind of major events that will provide significant economic spin-offs and opportunities to showcase what we have to offer the world,” Hipkins said.
Robbie Williams’ Britpop tour is set to play Eden Park in Auckland on November 24 and One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on November 28.
