P!nk concert fans wait to depart the Auckland Eden Park venue in buses on 10 March, 2024. Photo: RNZ / Krystal Gibbens
P!nk concertgoers continued to experience transport problems on Saturday night, but Auckland Transport said it was generally pleased with how bus networks fared on a busy weekend.
American pop star P!nk performed at Eden Park on Saturday and Friday evening, drawing in more than 100,000 fans and breaking attendance records for the venue.
The surge in people into the city led to strains on public transport.
On Friday night, some fans complained they were left stranded on platforms because there were not enough trains heading to Britomart in the central city.
Many fans trying to use the return bus services on Saturday night were reported to be left waiting for more than an hour.
A convoy of buses arrived after 11pm. But fans were left further infuriated with buses moving on before all seats were filled.
An RNZ reporter at the concert witnessed several fans arguing with security over the issue and urging bus drivers to ensure their buses were filled before leaving the massive queue lines.
"Last night, more than half of concert-goers caught the bus or train to get home," Auckland Transport Group Manager Public Transport and Operations Rachel Cara said in a statement to RNZ.
"We put on extra train services and ran 55 dedicated buses to the city centre. We were pleased with how these operated, with these customers having to wait no longer than 30 minutes to board a bus or train."
"For an event of this scale, moving more than 20,000 people in such a short space of time is a pleasing result and a testament to the hard work of our operators.
Photo: Tom Grut
"It is clear that the additional bus services we deployed to run to the city centre eased the pressure on the train network we experienced on Friday night."
Cara did say there were issues with North Shore bus services on Saturday.
"For concert-goers using one of our dedicated North Shore bus services, we acknowledge there were some longer wait times and do apologise for this."
"We deployed 50 dedicated buses to run between Eden Park and North Shore, which were utilised by 3254 passengers - about 500 more than Friday night's concert. The level of crowds in the area initially made it difficult for these buses to leave safely, which did set us back and cause longer wait times than we expected.
"We appreciate the patience of our customers and will be looking at how we can deploy additional dedicated North Shore services for future events of this scale."
Another RNZ reporter who was in the area said other vehicles were also a congestion factor.
"My bus at 10.15pm (already diverted from Sandringham Road) reached Eden Terrace and by then the traffic was completely gridlocked. Wasn't really buses that was the problem - [it] was all the private cars/Ubers/stretch limos picking up people along Dominion Road."
Bookings boost
Hospitality New Zealand said a string of entertainment events happening in Auckland this weekend were a "blessing" for the sector, which was still facing a tough recovery post pandemic.
Auckland saw thousands of concert and festival-goers flock to the city as the Pasifika Festival, the Auckland Arts Festival and P!nk concerts saw a surge in bookings for accommodation and other hospitality.
Auckland is the largest hub of Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa, with 11 Pacific Island nations represented at festival at the Western Springs venue.
The Cook Islands corner at Auckland Pasifika Festival, Western Springs, 9 March 2024, featured teams from throughout Aotearoa, including some performers who had travelled from the Cook Islands. Photo: RNZ/ Tiana Haxton
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said the excitement for P!nk's concert during the weekend and in the days leading up to it was "unparalleled".
"Beyond the social impact, the economic benefit to our local businesses and city that comes from hosting the two P!nk concerts is expected to be substantial."
Sautner said the event had created jobs, including 2000 who worked at the concert venue over the weekend.
Eden Park is looking to capitalise on successfully hosting three Women's World Cup matches and a host of domestic events this year.
"We are committed to attracting more international artists to New Zealand and building on our reputation as a world-class entertainment venue," Sautner said.
Hospitality New Zealand, which represents businesses, said the weekend's events had all been great for hotels.
The association's chief executive Steve Armitage said hotels, restaurants and even flights heading to the city had been completely booked out.
Local events were a great boost for hospitality businesses, he said, which were still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, people who travelled to Auckland this weekend without having booked accommodation, could have ended up paying higher prices.