Eden Park welcomed over one million guests during 2023, marking a record for the Auckland stadium.
The figures were boosted by the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which New Zealand co-hosted alongside Australia from July 20 to August 20. Eden Park hosted nine matches at the tournament, including the opening fixture between New Zealand and Norway and the semi-final between Spain and Sweden.
The opening match set a new record for a football fixture in New Zealand as 42,137 fans attended. This was later surpassed as over 43,000 fans attended the three knockout fixtures at Eden Park.
Throughout the year, Eden Park also hosted cricket, rugby union and rugby league matches, as well as cultural festivals, concerts, community events, functions and other events. Two sold-out Ed Sheeran concerts were held at the stadium in February.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said: “2023 was our busiest and most successful year yet. We had an unprecedented number of spectators and visitors, setting new records for attendance across various sporting and entertainment events and underpinning Eden Park’s status as a leading destination for fans worldwide and a vital part of our national and local community.
“Welcoming over one million people through our doors is a milestone we are very proud to have achieved. It is a testament to our commitment to excellence, innovation, community engagement, and sustainability and the delivery of this diverse range of world-class events showcased our team’s excellence in logistics and overall event management.
“From two sold-out Ed Sheeran concerts, the world-renowned Te Matatini festival, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup right through to G9 and free community events such as Wahs Under the Stars and Paris at the Park, every event we hosted created a legacy – a memorable moment for those who attended and a positive impact on our wider community.”
Last month, an impact evaluation report released by the New Zealand government revealed that the FIFA Women’s World Cup delivered a net economic benefit of NZ$109.5m (£53.7m/€62.5m/$68.4m) for the country.
The economic benefit far exceeded expectations, with a net benefit of NZ$46.3m having been predicted back in 2019.
Over 740,000 tickets were issued across the 29 matches hosted in New Zealand, while there were around 170,000 visits to FIFA Fan Festival sites in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin. There were 258,527 unique attendees at matches, comprising 226,270 New Zealanders and 32,257 international visitors.
This year, Eden Park will host domestic and international cricket, as well as All Blacks and Blues Rugby matches. It is also scheduled to host concerts from the likes of P!nk and Coldplay.
