Western Springs Bowl was recently revealed to be undergoing a four-month upgrade led by its owner-operator Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), enabling the venue to host major events with 15,000 to 30,000 people in the summer concert season.
Work on the new Western Springs Bowl is set to finish in October. Photo / Auckland Stadiums
Year-round sporting events with crowds of up to 5000 people will also be enabled through the works.
Expected to cost $2.5m, the upgrade’s funding will be drawn from TAU’s existing capital budget.
Dean announced the antipodean leg of the tour on Instagram last September, writing: “Australia and new zealand we’re coming round again! See you in 2026 :)”
Dean’s tour takes its name from her second album, The Art Of Loving, which was released on September 26.
At the time, Dean had partnered with music non-profit PLUS1 to donate $1.15 per ticket to music therapy charity MusicHelps to aid their work supporting music projects around New Zealand.
Dean first came to New Zealand in January 2025, performing at Auckland’s Laneway Festival one day after a sold-out show at The Powerstation.
Olivia Dean performs at Auckland’s 2025 Laneway Festival at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Carson Bluck
Before that appearance she told Viva: “I feel like people from Australia and New Zealand are really vibey, from my experience.”
She said she has “loads of Kiwi friends in London” who have moved over in recent years.
“They’re great people. Great sense of humour, easygoing, super fun, stylish.”
Dean was selected as BBC Music’s Introducing Artist of the Year in 2023, the same year she released her debut album Messy, which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
The following year she played at Glastonbury and was named runner-up in BBC Radio 1’s Sound Of 2024.
The London-born and raised singer comes from a music-loving family and knew she wanted to be a singer from an early age.
She studied at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, notable for its celebrity alumni including Amy Winehouse, Adele, FKA Twigs, Loyle Carner, Lola Young and Raye.
She was previously a backing vocalist with Rudimental, one of the UK’s most recognisable drum and bass bands.
Olivia Dean: The Art of Loving tour
Where: Western Springs Bowl, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland NZ
When: Saturday, October 17
Tickets: New ticket sales start on August 20; fans can register for presale access via Laylo; existing ticket-holders will be reissued tickets for the new venue by September 30.
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