On April 26, New Zealand’s Eden Park Stadium in Auckland will host a 50,000, non-socially-distanced capacity concert by local band SIX60 – the biggest post-lockdown concert the world has seen in over a year.

The concert will also be the first live music event held at the stadium, which is home to the All Blacks rugby team.

“It’s no secret that SIX60 have wanted to play Eden Park for some time now,” said Matiu Walters, lead singer of SIX60. “We always felt that it was important a kiwi band should play the first show at our national stadium. Because of the hard work that New Zealand has done as a community we’re in the privileged position to be able to perform to an audience of this size. 

“It’s a great reward, we’re stoked that it’s become a reality and it’s a real honour to bring our show to the garden of Eden. We can’t wait.” 

The concert will mark the gradual return of live events this year, with the touring market starting to consider how live events can return in a meaningful way.

You may also be interested in:

• Interstellar sound: How DPA captured audio from the surface of Mars for the first time
• Katie Tavini answers your questions on all things audio
• We Make Events study: 43 per cent of live events businesses to close by June
• ‘Songs are as good as gold or oil’: Merck Mercuriadis on the future of publishing
• How does live come back? Frank Turner, Music Venue Trust and Concert Promoters Association speak out
• ‘If COVID hadn’t stopped European touring, Brexit would have’: Inside UK’s first live music industry body
• ‘A godsend for labels?’: What the return of live music could mean for the rest of the industry 

Last month, the UK government outlined its COVID-19 roadmap, which stated that restriction-free events could return from June 21. On March 5, the government also announced its latest Budget, which did make some provisions for the live music sector. 

However, while the response to the Budget announcement was largely positive, many in the live events and music industries have called for further clarification on how the new funding will be allocated and what support, if any, will be available to the vast number of freelancers that make up approximately 70 per cent of the live industry workforce.

Mark Davyd, CEO at the Music Venue Trust, told Audio Media International: “Music Venue Trust welcomes the extensions to Furlough, SEISS and the VAT cut on ticket sales. These measures are supportive of the next steps in the campaign to Reopen Every Venue Safely.

“On business rates, we note that the Chancellor has provided a 100 per cent cut for the initial three-month period in which venues will not be trading. This period does not resolve the long running debate on business rates, and we look forward to a full discussion of this outdated and anachronistic taxation in the Business Rates Review in Autumn 2021.”

You can read our full industry response piece here. 

“We want to stay in touch with our customers beyond Zoom!”
Read the Audio Media International partner plan.