Taylor Swift on stage in California as part of the Eras Tour. Photo: AFP / Michael Tran
Taylor Swift's Australian leg of her Eras Tour is hours from kicking off, and while many Kiwis will head over to one (or multiple) of her seven shows, questions remain as to why she isn't coming to New Zealand. Eden Park's CEO Nick Sautner has (some of) the answers.
Swiftie hearts all around New Zealand weren't ready for it last June when it was announced Taylor Swift was leaving Aotearoa off her Eras Tour schedule.
At the time, the snub was rumoured to be because the country didn't have a big enough venue to host her nearly 90-metre-long stage, other theories claimed she wouldn't have been able to sell enough tickets to cover the cost of bringing her extravagant tour here.
Now, with hours before her first Melbourne show kicks off, The Eden Park Trust's chief executive officer Nick Sautner spoke to the Herald, weighing in on the matter and debunking any theories that it was an issue of space or financial viability, "Eden Park has proven it can accommodate any stage or production and 60,000 fans", he noted, adding he had no doubt the venue would have "sold out multiple shows".
So, what did the CEO believe the reason was behind the decision for Eden Park not to host the star? Sautner claimed it ultimately came down to resource consent.
"In 2020, our resource consent permitted Eden Park to hold up to six concerts in any 12-month period," Sautner said.
He explained that the limit itself was not exactly an issue, but rather they were finding that promoters were more often than not requiring multiple concert dates to accommodate demand.
"Our current consent doesn't make this possible, which means artists are bypassing New Zealand and fans are missing out," he said.
With Pink's two shows on 8 and 9 March and Coldplay's three shows on 13, 15 and 16 November, it left Eden Park with only one concert slot this year. Considering the Grammy winner is playing seven shows across two Australian venues this February, Sautner said: "Clearly, this wasn't sufficient to host Taylor Swift."
As well as Australian venues catering for larger crowds - an estimated 75,000 Swifties per Sydney show and 86,000 fans per Melbourne show - Sydney's Football Stadium's concert quota was recently increased to more than double Eden Park's, allowing 20 concerts per year. It was a business model that proved challenging for Kiwi venues to compete with, Sautner said.
"If a hotel could only operate once a fortnight it would be incredibly challenging to deliver a business model that is commercially viable. This is our current reality at Eden Park, with restrictions imposed that don't enable us to operate to industry expectations."
The venue also needed to consider the duration of concerts in any conversations - as the parameters of Eden Park's resource consent meant shows needed a scheduled finishing time of 10.30pm, something that may have been too difficult for Swift to commit to.
For example, the star's Melbourne shows kicks off at 6.30pm with Sabrina Carpenter as the support act. Carpenter's set is estimated to go for 45 minutes, meaning if Swift begins her three-and-a-half hour show at 8pm, the earliest she would finish is 11.30pm, already one hour too late for Eden Park.
Despite there being no Taylor for Eden Park, Sautner said the venue was excited for the year ahead. As well as being New Zealand's premier concert venue, hosting globally renowned artists including SIX60, Billy Joel, Guns N' Roses and Ed Sheeran over the years, they had some great events for Kiwis to enjoy in 2024, including Pink and Coldplay.
For sports fans, Sautner said: "The All Blacks will be taking on rivals England in July and Argentina in August and the Black Caps will play Australia in two T20 International cricket matches later this month. We also have Blues rugby, A-League football, NZ domestic cricket and community events that people can look forward to experiencing at New Zealand's national stadium."
As for Kiwi fans heading over to Swift's concerts in Australia - and those who aren't - the Herald will be on the ground on opening night in Melbourne, with a first-take review from the first show and following along for the hype.
Show schedule
16, 17 and 18 February - Melbourne Cricket Ground
23, 24, 25 and 26 February - Sydney Accor Stadium
This story was originally published by the NZ Herald.