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Country Profile: New Zealand

The world’s leading promoters & the 55 top markets they operate in.
Click the interactive map below to explore the top 55 global markets.

With the pandemic finally in the rearview mirror, international touring has resumed in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Indeed, New Zealanders enjoyed certain benefits from its geographic isolation as the world went into lockdown. With relatively low numbers of infections among its population of about 5m, roughly that of Sydney, NZ cautiously reopened touring to homegrown acts before much of the rest of the world.

During peak-pandemic in 2021, Auckland rockers Six60 embarked on a stadium tour of their homeland, including a concert at the national stadium Eden Park.

Then, in 2022, while there were no lockdowns and international borders were open, the summer touring season was effectively wiped out in response to the Omicron outbreak.

In 2022, while there were no lockdowns and international borders were open, the summer touring season was effectively wiped out in response to the Omicron outbreak.

In the same year, some $125m was generated in live performance revenue, based on live performance royalties collected by APRA AMCOS.

PwC’s Economic Contribution of the NZ Music Industry 2023 report found that live performance had an estimated total economic impact of $167m and 1,703 FTEs, after accounting for multiplier effects, with homegrown content contributing just over a quarter of these impacts.

The “top end” of the NZ market is “doing incredibly well,” notes Roger Field, president of Asia-Pacific (who was reported to be standing down from the role as the Global Promoters Report went to press), pointing to successes for Pink across three stadiums, Harry Styles, and arena acts Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo, and Blink-182. New festivals and venues are expected to see significant growth in New Zealand over the next decade and are very much a part of the live entertainment giant’s mix of interests.

One of the country’s domestic success stories is Six60, winners of best record at the 2023 Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards. The rockers embarked on another lap of stadiums in late 2022 and early 2023, for Six60 Saturdays 2022 – The Stadium Tour. Produced by Eccles Entertainment, the tour was rescheduled from the first quarter of 2022 due to Covid restrictions and embarked on an itinerary that included Sky Stadium in Wellington, McLean Park in Napier, Rotorua International Stadium, Eden Park in Auckland, Christchurch’s Orangetheory Stadium, and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

A steady flow of artists on all levels are now touring Aotearoa and in most cases having “successful” treks.

A steady flow of artists on all levels are now touring Aotearoa and in most cases having “successful” treks, notes Brent Eccles, director of Eccles Entertainment, the full-service booking agency and concert promoter.

“More and more” the price of tickets will dictate the market and its appetite and those need to be set “uniquely” for NZ. “From a promoter perspective,” he continues, “we need to encourage and embrace the interest whilst being mindful of the market we are in.”

Recent tours have included Lorde, Midnight Oil, Marlon Williams, and Jimmy Barnes.

Formed by Brent, drummer with popular Aussie pub rock band The Angles, and Helen Eccles in 2000, Eccles Entertainment exclusively represents Frontier Touring, Illusive Presents, Chugg Entertainment, Arena Touring, and Roundhouse Entertainment in NZ.

Major tours to Australia also typically visit New Zealand, sometimes with multiple stops

Major tours to Australia also typically visit New Zealand, sometimes with multiple stops. Auckland’s 12,000-capacity Sparks Stadium is a regular destination on international touring itineraries to NZ, though it is by no means the only local venue catering to the music industry’s frontline acts.

Ed Sheeran’s 2023 Mathematics tour dropped into Sky Stadium in the capital; Rod Stewart played Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, in April 2023; and Blink-182 are booked to play Christchurch Arena in February 2024. The Weeknd’s stadium swing Down Under, produced by Live Nation, will pause at Auckland’s Eden Park for concerts on 8 and 9 December.

The Foo Fighters’ tour of these parts is a template on how to hit all the major centres. Produced by Frontier Touring, its Australia leg will visit stadiums in each of the five capitals in November and December 2023, followed by January 2024 concerts in Auckland (Go Media Stadium), Christchurch (Orangetheory Stadium), and Wellington (Sky Stadium).

NZ’s music scene is a vibrant one, with the likes of Benee, Lorde, Broods, The Beths, and others landing festival slots and impacting sales and consumption charts around the globe.

Music industry veteran Mark Kneebone leads Live Nation’s NZ affiliate as managing director. Upcoming international tours and concerts for LN include Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, Post Malone, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and others.

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