A merchandise sales site has been operating in central Auckland since yesterday in anticipation of the hordes of fans descending on New Zealand\u2019s national stadium.<\/p>\n
It will be open until 8.30pm today, with its final trade ending tomorrow at 6.30pm.<\/p>\n
Merch stalls at Eden Park are also opening progressively throughout the day, with the first pop-up launched outside Entry C at noon.<\/p>\n
Items up for grabs at the merch pop-ups include an exclusive M72 Auckland concert poster ($90), T-shirt ($70), women\u2019s vest ($70), Auckland-embossed jumbo pick ($30) and 72 Seasons limited-edition vinyls ($120).<\/p>\n
The prices have drawn ire from some fans.<\/p>\n
Fans have been queuing in central Auckland for merchandise being sold at a pop-up store before Metallica\u2019s show. Photo \/ Shane Jones<\/p>\n
\u201c$90 for a poster … catch that up,\u201d one wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the bargain price of $90,\u201d another wrote alongside laughing emojis.<\/p>\n
Fans have already begun congregating outside Eden Park, with the atmosphere buzzing for Metallica\u2019s first New Zealand show since 2010.<\/p>\n
Adelino De Santi jnr told the Herald that although he\u2019s seen the band seven times already in Brazil, he \u201cpromised to go [to Metallica] in New Zealand and is finally going\u201d<\/a> tonight.<\/p>\n De Santi jnr came to New Zealand on holiday in 2019 to scope out a future move. He was ecstatic to learn the band were playing during his first weekend here, but they cancelled their two Mt Smart shows after frontman James Hetfield re-entered an addiction treatment programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n Having been offered a job as a biology teacher at King\u2019s College last year, De Santi jnr and his wife subsequently emigrated to Auckland in January.<\/p>\n \u201cI still think Kiwis are amazing,\u201d he said, noting how kind and helpful New Zealanders have been since they arrived.<\/p>\n Heading to tonight\u2019s concert by himself \u2013 \u201cmy wife isn\u2019t a fan\u201d \u2013 he planned to wear a T-shirt and hat bought through Metallica\u2019s Fifth Member fan club.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a big fan … I\u2019ve been listening to them since 1995 when I was a teenager,\u201d De Santi jnr said.<\/p>\n Road closures <\/p>\nFans lining up along Albert St for Metallica merch at the official pop-up in central Auckland.<\/p>\n