Fisher at Bay Oval leads huge Bay of Plenty summer events lineup

Grammy-nominated DJ Fisher will perform in Mount Maunganui at Bay Oval, marking the first music event for the venue. Photo / Aaron Moffitt

School’s out, temperatures are rising and the days are longer.

Summer is heating up in the Bay of Plenty, and there are plenty of events to make sure it’s one for the books.

From international sport to concerts – you name it, the Bay of Plenty Times has it on our list of summer events.

This summer, history will be made with the Bay Oval’s concert debut.

Grammy-nominated Australian DJ Fisher will headline the cricket venue’s first major music event, with more than 25,000 people expected to attend.

The concert was the latest instalment in the Bay Oval’s expansion beyond cricket games.

The sports ground previously served as a World Cup football training pitch and a sold-out Super Rugby venue.

This summer will be no different, with the T20 Black Clash and the new summer festival Kingston Calling with UB40 taking place on the cricket pitch.

Trademark Live co-director Toby Burrows said the Bay Oval was an iconic venue and “ticked a lot of boxes for us”.

Famous Last Words had sold out for the past three years, each time welcoming between 5000 to 6500 attendees. Photo / Desmond Nielsen

“It hadn’t been used before for any major music event, so we had our eye on it for the last five or six years.

“We’ve always run large-scale events here, and there has always been an appetite for it. It’s like a summer hotspot.”

Trademark Live also ran the New Year’s bash Famous Last Words at Mercury Baypark Arena.

Burrows said there were a lot of people travelling from outside the region for Fisher, but there was also a strong local uptake.

“The beauty of Fisher is that he’s got a really wide fan base and demographic. So there are 18-year-olds right through to 60-year-olds coming.”

He said Fisher had broad appeal.

Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan said Kiwis flocked to Bay of Plenty shores in summer to enjoy our outdoor ocean and beach vibe.

“The extensive schedule of outdoor summer sporting, festival and music events adds a layer of vibrancy and offering that both locals and visitors alike can enjoy over summer.”

Nathan said events such as L.A.B. and Stan Walker, Fisher, UB40 and the T20 Black Clash bring strong economic benefit to the local economy, not only through direct attendance but also spend on accommodation, retail, hospitality and other related activities.

“On average, electronic card spend data over the summer was forecast to bring just over $70m per month to our local economy.”

8000 people were expected at L.A.B. and Stan Walker, 6500 at Famous Last Words, and 10,000 at the T20 Black Clash.

From Katikati to Rotorua and Ōhope, there were events planned across the Bay of Plenty to make the most of the sunshine.

Ex-cricketer Lou Vincent during the T20 Black Clash at Hagley Oval in January 2025. Photo / Andrew Cornaga

Summer events:

Saturday, December 27:

• L.A.B. and Stan Walker, Wharepai Domain, Tauranga
• Holiday Raceday, Arawa Park Racecourse, Rotorua

Wednesday, December 31:

• Famous Last Words, Mercury Baypark Arena, Mount Maunganui
• Tauranga City Council New Year’s Eve Community Celebrations: Fergusson Park, Tauranga Racecourse, Tauranga Waterfront, Blake Park, Gordon Spratt Reserve

Saturday, January 10:

• Katikati Avo Fest, Uretara Domain, Katikati

Saturday, January 17:

• Fulton Hogan Mount Festival of Multisport, Mount Maunganui
• Hot Spring Spas T20 Black Clash, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Friday, January 30:

• Gallagher Chiefs v Fijian Drua pre-season match, Blake Park, Mount Maunganui

Saturday, January 31:

• DJ Fisher, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Saturday, February 7:

• Kingston Calling featuring UB40, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Saturday, February 14 - Sunday, February 15:

• Tarawera Ultra-Trail Event, Rotorua

Saturday, February 21:

• Local Wild Food Festival, Ōhope

Saturday, February 28:

• Beast of a Feast, Soper Reserve

Friday, April 3 - Sunday, April 5:

• West End Wiggle, Ōhope