And while Western Springs Bowl may be the centre of attention this weekend, over the years hundreds of thousands of Kiwi concertgoers have flocked to see their favourite artists at venues around New Zealand, from international superstars to homegrown heroes – and a few records have been broken along the way.
From these gigs have emerged stories of smuggled alcohol, long road trips, being “squashed like sardines” to get a glimpse of a favourite artist and even being sprayed in a frontman’s sweat.
With a stacked summer incoming, the Herald looks back at some of these record-breaking events in all their memory-making glory.
David Bowie at Western Springs Stadium (1983)
Why it broke records:
While official attendance for the one-night Serious Moonlight Tour spectacle was 74,480, it was estimated up to 90,000 punters packed Western Springs Stadium thanks to overflow on the banks (and a notable absence of health and safety protocols …).
It is still New Zealand’s biggest single gig of all time, which means, of course, it was the biggest gig at Western Springs Stadium, even after U2, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones and AC/DC took to the stage in the years following. It was also recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest crowd gathering per head of population anywhere in the world at the time.
What was it like?
Reviewers describe the moment Bowie took to the stage as a “frenzy” and the crowd being “in raptures”. The Herald reported a fence surrounding Western Springs was stormed by more than 100 people, hundreds of parking tickets were issued, and 43 cars were towed.
Rotorua couple Steve and Mary Eriksen were at the gig. The couple, now in their 60s and married for 41 years, were 24 and 19, and travelled from Mary’s hometown of Taumarunui to “the big smoke” of Auckland in her dad’s two-door Ford Escort.
Mary had been to Elton John’s Western Springs gig in 1980 and the pair had respectively attended Sweetwaters rock festivals in Ngāruawāhia in the early 1980s, but the crowds at those did not compare to Bowie’s.
“I can remember lots of lights on the stage, and Bowie was in lots of different costumes and makeup,” she says.
Steve and Mary Eriksen were in the crowd of Bowie’s 1983 concert. Photo / Supplied
While Steve can’t remember a single song that was played, he recalls many of the hits that night revolved around Bowie’s Let’s Dance album.
“I’m still a die-hard fan. Have been one since The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which came out in 1972.”
Dire Straits at Lancaster Park (1986)
Why it broke records:
To date, the British band’s Brothers in Arms Tour stop in Christchurch remains the largest single gig by a band in the South Island, with about 64,000 people paying $25 to head along. Demolished in 2019 after damage from the Canterbury earthquakes, the well-loved Lancaster site is now a public reserve and recreation complex.
What was it like?
Punters on social media archive pages describe the stadium’s “great” PA system as providing a “wall of sound”.
That, as well as a distinct haze and smell of marijuana in the air.
Herald journalist Kim Knight had just turned 16, making the “three-and-a-bit” hour drive from the West Coast to Christchurch for what she thinks may have been a birthday treat. It remains the single biggest crowd she has ever been in.
“I’d played the cassette tape of Brothers in Arms so many times I knew – and still remember – every single lyric,” she says.
“My parents were somewhere in the same crowd. They were with a friend who had stuffed a bladder of cask wine down her bra. It was my first outdoor concert and my first lesson in how to sneak booze into a gig.”
Ballads were lit with cigarette lighters, not cell phones. Knight has no idea how she found her parents and their friends again, but does remember the distinct sound of “people baa’ing in unison”.
Six60 played the first music event held at Eden Park in 2021.
Six60 at Eden Park (2021)
Why it broke records:
Not only was it the first concert after the Government gave the green light to host gigs at Eden Park, but it was also the biggest headlining gig by a Kiwi band that wasn’t at a festival.
While Split Enz and The Exponents may have performed to bigger festival crowds and as opening acts for international artists, the men from 660 Castle St sold out Eden Park and made history in front of 50,000 Kiwi fans.
What was it like?
This gig made headlines around the world because New Zealand was one of the only places not under Covid-19 lockdown conditions. It was therefore the largest mass gathering in the world at the time. Reviewers labelled it a “once in a lifetime” event, praising the band’s heart, humour and stellar vocals.
Herald lifestyle journalist Jenni Mortimer was there and says it definitely felt like history in the making.
“The crowd felt like a dog that desperately needed to be walked after two years of Covid lockdowns,” she says.
“The excitement was genuine, the audience giddy, but there was also a real sense that they were part of history – the first-ever gig at Eden Park. The roar of that first concert crowd to grace the venue felt significantly different to the boom of rugby fans, and the band came with the energy needed to fill the massive space and legacy.”
She recalls the vibes were high and the screams loud.
“Matiu Walters’ flawless vocals echoed off every corner of the stadium, giving us a sense of the epicness the venue would bring in future years.”
Coldplay performed at Eden Park in front of massive crowds. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Coldplay at Eden Park (2024)
Why it broke records:
While Bowie smashed the one-night attendance record for a solo artist in New Zealand, British pop-rockers Coldplay are the kings of stadium residency. They set New Zealand’s biggest multi-night stadium attendance record at 163,400 across three nights of their Music of the Spheres tour.
What was it like?
Critics marvelled at frontman Chris Martin’s stage presence, and the barrage of old and new hits the band played.
Brin Rudkin went to all three nights at Eden Park after seeing Coldplay perform in Perth.
One night in Auckland, he queued for five hours to get a spot near the front of the stage, with Martin’s sweat flicking on to his face because he was so close.
“It’s not something you necessarily put on your concert bucket list, but there we are. Some people get a guitar pick. I got a light facial. I was also standing directly in front of the confetti cannons, which meant I received a fairly abusive amount of paper to the face too,” he says.
“The atmosphere was fantastic. There’s something quite moving about tens of thousands of people singing the same song together. For a few hours, everyone puts aside their various life admin and gets on with being happy.”
A major part of Coldplay’s show was their light-up wristbands and visual elements, with the whole stadium becoming a bright sea of colour.
“Even the most stoic among us would struggle not to get swept up in it,” he says.
“Coldplay have mastered the art of making a massive concert feel personal. You’re surrounded by tens of thousands of people, yet somehow the whole thing feels intimate. The music does a lot of the heavy lifting, of course, but there’s a genuine warmth to the way Chris Martin connects with the crowd.”
Pink playing at Spark Arena during her world tour. Photo / Dean Purcell
P!nk at Spark Arena (2018)
Why it broke records:
Speaking of residencies, US singer P!nk set New Zealand’s indoor arena residency record, with six sold-out nights at Auckland’s Spark Arena and 73,087 people watching her Beautiful Trauma World Tour stop.
What was it like?
Reviewers labelled this show “theatrical and joyful,” saying it was a cross between pop and Cirque du Soleil, singling out the singer’s impressive vocal abilities.
Mikhal Norriss recalls a moment during one of the shows.
“[P!nk] was spinning around, singing from the literal rafters, and somehow still managed to spot a couple of ladies helping their very drunk friend out of his seat. I remember thinking, how on earth did she even see that with everything else going on?”
Norriss says besides the hit songs, it was the “tricks, theatrics and the sheer scale of the performance” that made it such a special event.
“Even the dads who were a little reluctant to be there ended up having a great time!”
Ed Sheeran performs on stage at Go Media Stadium in Auckland in 2018. Photo / Getty
Ed Sheeran at Go Media Stadium (2018)
Why it broke records:
A record formerly held by Adele, the British singer set the record for the biggest crowd at a solo artist’s multi-night stadium show, with 134,000 people attending over three nights at Go Media Stadium (formerly Mt Smart).
What was it like?
Auckland’s fickle weather (rainy, sunny, and everywhere in between over the three nights) didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowds. Reviews noted Sheeran’s impressive musicality with his loop pedal, the great visuals and the singer donning an All Blacks jersey.
Kaitlin Pocock and her cousin Ella were just 16 and 17 when they made the trip to Auckland from Hawke’s Bay for a birthday surprise. Both were “super avid” Sheeran fans.
“It was a super, super hot day, and it was packed like sardines,” Pocock recalls.
“We were almost passing out because we were pretty packed in there. The crowd was really good though; everyone was very respectful of each other.”
Ella and Kaitlin Pocock ready for Ed Sheeran’s 2018 shows.
Highlights included singing along to some of their favourite songs, the impressive visuals and watching the opening act, a then up-and-coming Drax Project.
“It was probably, to date, one of my favourite concerts to be completely honest,” Pocock says.
Split Enz reunited to play Electric Avenue. Photos / Radlab
Electric Avenue at Hagley Park (2026)
Why it broke records:
While Nambassa 1979 drew crowds of up to 75,000, 2026’s Christchurch’s Electric Avenue was the biggest multiday festival, with about 90,000 punters over its two-day run. The line-up at the Hagley Park festival featured the first Split Enz reunion in decades, as well as international electronic heavyweight Dom Dolla.
What was it like?
“Utter mayhem,” is how one critic described Electric Avenue 2026. Others commended the stage setups, quality of the acts, and good organisation and crowd control.
Blake Spencer has regularly travelled from Auckland to attended Electric Avenue for the last few years.
He says it is “hands down” the best festival in New Zealand, with great facilities, a flat and accessible layout, and headliners who could sell out stadiums themselves.
Electric Avenue was the band’s 1000th show. Photos / Radlab
Although he could feel the scale of 45,000 people in the park each day, it didn’t feel claustrophobic.
“I’ve been to festivals before where you feel quite swallowed by the crowd, and it’s almost a bit daunting. Because of the nature of Hagley Park being so spread out, people aren’t funnelled into a specific area, so it feels better in my eyes.”