{"id":635725,"date":"2026-10-19T23:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T23:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/635725\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T23:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T23:28:10","slug":"dunedins-stadium-concert-drought-set-to-break-with-chase-status-announcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/635725\/","title":{"rendered":"Dunedin\u2019s stadium concert drought set to break with Chase & Status announcement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ForsythForsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Photo \/ Photosport <\/p>\n

Chase & Status are the first major headline act announced under new Dunedin Venues chief executive Phil King, who said the booking was an indication of what was to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I said I believed a golden age of events was coming to Forsyth Barr Stadium, this is exactly what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Announcing the act in Dunedin this morning, King said: \u201cI think there\u2019s no better town to host an event like this, with the university students right on the doorstep.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Brit Award-winning duo, whose songs include the Stormzy collaboration Backbone, will play their first New Zealand stadium show. <\/p>\n

Dunedin Venues is billing it as their biggest concert in the country.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Adams\u2019 appearance will be decidedly more low-key.<\/p>\n

His Bare Bones show draws on more than four decades of songs, including Summer of \u201969, Run to You, Heaven and (Everything I Do) I Do It for You.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo very different shows, two world-class artists, one month,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you\u2019re in the stadium for Chase & Status or in the Town Hall for an unforgettable night with Bryan Adams, March 2027 is shaping up as a massive month for live music in Dunedin, and for our local economy, which greatly benefits when fans come to town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DunedinDunedin Venues CEO Phil King. Photo \/ Dunedin Venues<\/p>\n

The stadium\u2019s sparse concert calendar has prompted efforts to broaden the range of acts it can accommodate.<\/p>\n

The Herald reported in March on plans for retractable curtains to accommodate smaller audiences<\/a> at Forsyth Barr Stadium.<\/p>\n

The proposed capacity-reduction system would allow configurations ranging from a 3000- to 5000-person mini-arena through to larger events. <\/p>\n

Dunedin Venues said the aim was to fill a gap between the Town Hall and a full stadium, making the venue more practical for acts drawing mid-sized crowds.<\/p>\n

The booking also follows a 10-year partnership between Dunedin Venues and Ticketek announced in March.<\/p>\n

Ticketek Entertainment Group chief executive Cameron Hoy said the show reflected the intent of that agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen TEG and Ticketek locked in our 10-year partnership with Dunedin Venues in March, this is exactly what we had in mind: bringing major international acts to Forsyth Barr Stadium for fans across the South.\u201d<\/p>\n

Handsome Tours had secured the act, while King and Dunedin Venues had provided the venue, Hoy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s plenty more to come for Dunedin.\u201d<\/p>\n

King said about 60% of stadium crowds travelled from outside Dunedin, and he expected the show to draw fans from across the South Island and farther afield.<\/p>\n

Mayor Sophie Barker said visiting concertgoers would benefit accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and retailers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn event of this scale brings thousands of visitors into our city, and with them comes a real economic boost for our hotels, restaurants, bars, retailers and local businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chase & Status tour, which also includes Hamilton, is supported by the Government\u2019s one-off Events Attraction Package.<\/p>\n

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said the funding was intended to attract visitors and support regional businesses.<\/p>\n

Frontier Touring chief executive Dion Brant said the Town Hall suited Adams\u2019 stripped-back performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBare Bones is all about intimacy and connection, and the Dunedin Town Hall is the perfect room for it \u2013 audiences are in for something truly special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben Tomsett is a journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Photo \/ Photosport Chase & Status are the first major headline act announced…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":635726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[23503,2948,28119,9344,9526,27126,106566,9436,25759,2223,23436,12940,8127,156,1019,2190,661,111,139,1536,69,1551,418,16674,44093,61,5273,102,379],"class_list":["post-635725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-acts","tag-adams","tag-amp","tag-announcement","tag-another","tag-break","tag-bryan","tag-chase","tag-concert","tag-confirmed","tag-drought","tag-dunedins","tag-end","tag-entertainment","tag-international","tag-long","tag-major","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-next","tag-nz","tag-set","tag-shows","tag-stadium","tag-status","tag-to","tag-wait","tag-with","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/635726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}