Damn fine dance floor awaits concertgoers
FORSYTH BARR Stadium will become Australasia’s largest dance floor tonight, as thousands flock to the pitch for the Kendrick Lamar concert.
More than 16,000 people have bought tickets to the rapper’s Damn concert in Dunedin, according to promoters Live Nation Australia.
Chairman Michael Coppel said total costs for the performance were more than $2.5 million, putting it at the upper end for a concert in terms of expense.
There were some extra costs associated with the stadium, such as bringing in a stage for the concert, which went up yesterday afternoon.
The pitch provided the biggest dance floor at any venue in Australia and New Zealand, and between 11,000 and 12,000 ticket holders would be standing on the pitch, in front of the stage.
Fans of musicians like Kendrick Lamar preferred to stand and dance, and the suitability of the venue and the presence of university students were among the reasons Dunedin was chosen, Mr Coppel said.
‘‘I think Dunedin’s turning into a very strong concert market,’’ he said.
Lamar has been touring Damn in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide, and will perform two concerts in Auckland later this week before heading to Sydney.
At other venues, the largest dance floors had been only able to hold 3000 or 4000 people, Mr Coppel said.
Close to 40,000 people filled the stadium earlier this year for two of Ed Sheeran’s three performances.
However, Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan said selling more than 16,000 tickets was a ‘‘great achievement’’ for a mid week, midwinter concert, and it was positive that a different demographic of people would get to see what Dunedin had to offer.
Mr Coppel said there had been a good response to a promotion run with the Otago University Students’ Association allowing students to attend at a cut price.
Stadium marketing and communications manager Kim Barnes was expecting ‘‘plenty of dancing’’ and the operations team was very busy getting the venue ready yesterday.
The preparations gave the place ‘‘a real buzz’’.