Red Hot Chili Peppers pump $10m into Dunedin economy, more big acts to come
From reporter Hamish McNeilly:
The man behind the country’s only covered stadium could only watch as booking after booking was cancelled.
In early 2020, about 500 events – ranging from community events to large concerts, some even yet to be announced – were cancelled at facilities managed by Dunedin Venues Management Ltd, including Forsyth Barr Stadium.
“Initially it was like, you are out of business, you are finished,” chief executive Terry Davies said.
“It has been a roller coaster, a brutal three years, and now we are into some interesting times.”
In February 2020, the stadium hosted both Elton John and Queen, attracting more than 65,000 fans. Within weeks, the global Covid-19 pandemic effectively shut down the event industry.
Davies said the company had to cut about 60% of its staff, “through no fault of their own”.
In January, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were the first international act to return to the stadium in three years, attracting 28,166 punters.
Davies said that number could have been even higher, but the concert was held before most students returned to the city for the academic year.
The concert, which included support from Post Malone, injected an estimated $10.52 million into Dunedin’s economy.
A survey found about 58% of concert goers came from outside of Dunedin – mostly from Canterbury.
The visitors stayed an average of 1.8 nights and spent about $660 per person – not including their concert ticket. Of those surveyed, 87% rated the concert experience highly, and 92% said they would attend more major events at the venue.
Major events are now returning in force. Local heroes Six60 recently played the stadium, while Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper are set to play on April 5. Pop star Pink’s March 2024 show had almost sold out already, Davies said.
Christchurch’s $683m Te Kaha stadium – due to be completed in April 2026 – would create a “bidding game” between the South Island’s two biggest cities for large international acts, but Dunedin was ready to compete, Davies said.
“If anyone in Christchurch thinks building a stadium will stop any content coming to Dunedin [they’re] delusional, because that is not going to happen.”
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.7% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
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