Funds set for axed Auckland SailGP event went towards bringing Coldplay to New Zealand, says Tātaki Auckland Unlimited boss

Coldplay will play at Eden Park in November 2024. Photo / Live Nation

Auckland no longer hosting SailGP’s New Zealand leg next March has freed up funding for other events, with Coldplay fans the initial winners.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill today confirmed the City of Sails would not be hosting the global foiling league’s stop due to the unavailability of Wynyard Point as a spectator venue.

The site, which formerly housed petrol tanks, has not been cleared for use, and Hill said SailGP boss Sir Russell Coutts had a clear vision for the event which involved the area.

With the funds that had been earmarked for the two-day regatta now freed up, Hill said Auckland not hosting SailGP directly impacted the recently announced Coldplay concert at Eden Park in November next year.

“There’s plenty of demand and ideas on how we might use that over the next 12 months. For example, the Coldplay announcement over the weekend is because we’ve got a bit more funding now to support them coming here,” Hill said.

The land at Wynyard Point, which is currently fenced off, was deemed to be a health and safety risk as the remediation process is yet to be completed. The process involves sifting and turning excavated contaminated soil, and placing it in large piles with pipes inserted inside to pump air and amendments in; a process which speeds up the natural process of the containments breaking down.

The process is being overseen by Eke Panuku Development Auckland but is being carried out by a third party, which complicates their ability to make it available for short-term use. The bioremediation work was impacted by the severe weather events earlier in the year and has taken longer than anticipated, a spokesperson for Eke Panuku Development Auckland said.

The Herald understands the infrastructure used during the 36th America’s Cup – including the team bases, Hobson, Halsey and Wynyard Wharves and the breakwaters, as well as Hamer St itself – were made available to SailGP as alternatives.

Hill said Tātaki Auckland Unlimited had not provided SailGP with assurances that the land would be ready for use in time for the event, and that the parties had been in discussions after the issue was identified months ago.

“I’d love the event to be here but at the end of the day, they are concerned with the quality of the event they put on and they have to own that experience. They have very particular views about what that is and if they don’t feel comfortable about putting it on, we’d rather not have an event that’s not a great event,” Hill said.

“It would’ve had fewer spectators, it would’ve been more disaggregated and less of creating an atmosphere where you go along and watch it. I think SailGP is quite influenced in F1 and the experience in F1. They want their sponsors to experience that sort of thing and if you’ve got a bunch of disaggregated things across the waterfront, it’s just not the same thing.”

Hill estimated Auckland was looking at a $5 million boost from hosting the event and said they would continue talks with Coutts about hosting SailGP in the future, either in 2025 or beyond. As it stands, SailGP is looking at the potential alternatives to host their New Zealand event in late March.

Last year’s event was hosted in Lyttelton and Hill believed it was a possibility the look to return there. However, the league has given no indication as to where they might be looking to move the event to.

“SailGP continues to work with its partners, including relevant local and central government agencies, to progress planning for its season-four New Zealand event [across] March 23-24, 2024,” a league statement said.

“We will share more information as soon as it is available.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.