Mark Oldershaw: Wellington NZ chief executive on Ed Sheeran breaking the region's concert drought

Wellington’s mega concert drought is officially over, after Ed Sheeran confirmed he was returning to New Zealand next January.

The capital’s last major concert was the Foo Fighters in 2024 - and since then, global superstars like Lewis Capaldi and Lorde have skipped over Wellington when announcing their tours.

Wellington NZ chief executive Mark Oldershaw says Wellington's a big city that manages to attract events, but there's plenty of challenges involved.

"We recognise that we've got a significant stadium and another arena that holds five and a half thousand people with not a lot in between - so there are some challenges there, but there's all sorts of challenges at the moment."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The capital is going to be flooded with Ed Sheeran
fans in January next year. This announcement comes after stars
like Lewis Capaldi and our very own Lord have skipped
over the city in their New Zealand tours. Chief Executive
of Wellington, New Zealand Mark oldershows with us a Mark
Keller heathers good, thank you. Did you have to convince
it to stop by?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
It has been quoted in the past of saying Wellington's
is his favorite city in the world, so it's great
to see him back.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Did you have to convince it to stop by?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Not at all, Not at all.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
No, I wasn't buying. I wasn't buying your quote there.
Why does everybody else pass your mark?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Oh? Look, I think that's slightly unfair either. We've had
a look. In terms of sporting events, we have had
a couple of great weekends for Wellington with your Backs
and Wrexham, and we continue to attract like really good
events in concerts as well. We recognize that, you know,
we've got a significant stadium and and another arena that

(01:01):
holds about five and a half thousand people with not
a lot in between, so you know, there are some
challenges there, but there are all sorts of such challenges
right across New Zealand. At the moment, He's an expensive
place to come and you know, some of these some
of these concerts are pretty big concerts, so you know,
freight costs and all those sorts of things certainly play
into it.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
When was the last time you guys had a gig
at sky Stadium? Was it front of the Food Fighters?

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah? I think it was. Yeah. Look, and I'm only
going on from memory as a member of the public.
I'm reasonably new into my position. But the Food Fighters
was a great concert each year and was here in
twenty twenty three. Forty eight thousand people were in the stadium.
It was the biggest event that the stadiums ever held.
So you know, we're expecting the same this time as well.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah, congrats on the job.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Mark.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
When did you take it?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
About six weeks ago, so we've we've had a really, really,
really busy time and that last three people.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
What were you doing beforehand?

Speaker 2 (01:59):
I was with vocational education for a while, tistary education,
and then part of that, I've I've got a history
in tourism and events management.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Oh cool, Okay, see yeah, you do know, you do
know what you're doing.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Do you reckon? Do you reckon?

Speaker 1 (02:12):
You've got your work cut out for you trying to
get Wellington's brand back up.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Look, I think I think, to be honest with you,
and I'm saying this slightly selfishly, it's a great time
to come onto this role, this job. I think I
think Wellington's, you know, starting to see that real turn
and you can sort of sense it. You can censor
talking to a hospitality sector, you can censor talking to
some of the businesses around here. I think Wellington's starting
to feel really positive about itself again.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
What do you think is starting?

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Is it their local body elections at the end of
this year that's starting to turn things around?

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well I don't know. I mean, we'll we'll wait and
see what comes out of the local body elections. But
it's not for the public to decide what do you reckon?

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Wellington needs to do to get the vibe back up.
And I'm just thinking that probably the best things that
happen in Wellington are organized events, right like Wow and
the Burger Festival. Wellington on a plate. Does it need
some of those big events on the calendar to get
people back yes.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
To would agree. I mean, look, those are great events
for Wellington and they're both coming up, and you know,
we're just about to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of wild
beeing in Wellington, which is a fantastic achievement. It's going
to be with us for a wee bit longer. Thus
certainly significant events. We do festivals really well in Wellington
as well, you know, with the likes of Cuba, Dooper

(03:35):
and a whole lot of things like that. So I think,
you know, we continue to look for events, for attractions,
for supporting events that suit Wellington, and you know that
my team, along with many others, continue to work really
really hard on that good stuff.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Hey, look, good luck with the job, Mark and enjoy
the ed sharing concert.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
That's Mark oldish Or, Wellington New Zealand Chief Executive.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
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