Nick Sautner: Eden Park CEO ahead of this week's Coldplay concerts

Auckland commuters can also expect disruption tonight as Eden Park plays host to Coldplay. 

More than 50,000 people are expected to attend tonight's concert. 

Extra flights and public transport services are being scheduled, but there will be heavy traffic and road closures around Eden Park this afternoon. 

Chief executive Nick Sautner told Mike Hosking they're excited to be involved. 

He says the tour's been running since March 2022, and after looking at rehearsals last night, he thinks it will be unforgettable. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fields like the country got a little bit on at
the moment of perfect day for the Cup yesterday, follow
the Trotting Cup and christ your fabulous Pearl Jam. We're
here last weekend in Auckland three nights as well as
of tonight for Coldplay at Eden Park. We've got new
massive university research that says for every dollar spent on
live performances, three dollars twenty is returned and benefits to
the community. So that's encouraging the Eden part. Boss Nick

(00:22):
Sautner is back with us. Nick, very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good morning Mike, and thanks for your time.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Not at all have you checked the stage that he
doesn't fall through it like you did in Melbourne.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I can assure you that the diligence has been undertaken
by Live Nation. We're looking forward to three massive shows,
the biggest in our history and the biggest rock hand
of all time.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
I was going to say, where does it sit. Is
this the biggest thing you will have done in terms
of concert.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yes, certainly, three sold out shows over four days. It's
probably our biggest event in the stadium's history. When you
look tonight's shows, the one hundred and seventy third In
Coldplay's Music of the Sweet Sears tour, Bill Woard, as
I say, I called them the biggest rock band of
all time, and yeah, we're just so delighted and excited.
This too has been going since March twenty twenty two,

(01:10):
and looking at the rehearsals last night, it'll be something
that people will never forget.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
What's a sold out at Eton Park mean for a concert?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Light this?

Speaker 1 (01:19):
How many you're talking per night?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
So we're looking to see over fifty thousand fans.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Three nights.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
It'll be plus plus that. On the weekend, we're anticipating
to have greater than that attendance. We're gate opening from
five pm, so we're just encouraging people to arrive early,
be part of the atmosphere. Awkand's a great city and
Eden Park is a fantastic const venue.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Weather and track. Friday's a dog.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
That's a problem, Mike, it's the Garden of Eden. I've
already been talking to our to manager. We think it'll
go through. The weather's looking great today. Friday and Saturday
Fridays there's a better rat about. But we're confident, battle
clear early and we'll be able to put on a
show that the world is watching.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
That dollar and three dollars twenty back. Do you believe that.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Without a doubt? And we've also got to look at
the economic benefit but also the mental health, the escapism,
the bars and restaurants around this area where the it
be in Kingsland, Morningside, Dominion Road or Mount Eden. All
the hotels are full, the residents are lighting up the
streets with lighting to just embrace the event. Three thousand

(02:25):
jobs created today at the venue alone, all our bus drivers,
train drivers etc. Getting an extra shift. So this is
massive for Auckland and New Zealand. It is a great
city and we've got to embrace major events. The pipeline
of events that have come through Eden Park over the
last three years with the Women's World Cups, now Coldplay,

(02:45):
Metallic has sold out next year. Luke colmbs, We've got
a wonderful come of events, but we want to do
more for the city.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Good stuff, go well with it and enjoy it. Nick Suortner,
who is the Eden Park CEO, don't text me that
Colbert Play are the biggest band of the world. I
know they're not. I don't think anyone would describe yeah,
are they in fact a rock band? At all. Well,
it's a good question. Would that they'd be top teen though,
wouldn't they in the ability? I mean they're a band. Yeah,
there's certainly about I love cold playing and they're very good.
Do they play rock music? How many year that's debatable.

(03:13):
How many bands could sell three nights at fifty per night?
One hundred and fifty the last big but Adele was big.
She did three times forty or forty five. We've we've
done the research. This is, in fact the biggest tour.
It is so nothing has ever come to the country
that's bigger than this. While there you go, they're the
biggest for now, they're the biggest. Men are just questioning

(03:34):
the rock part. That's well, rather anyway, what are you
gonna do with your tickets on Friday of it's raining? Hey?
When you're not mate, it's about it's about the mental health.
It's a mental health to night's fine, Saturday's fine, but
you got tickets for Friday when it's raining.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Hey, next says it's not going to be raining, it's
gonna They've they've sorted it out.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
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