Millions tune in for Six60’s Eden gig

It is estimated millions of people around the world tuned in to the livestream of Saturday’s historymaking Six60 concert at Eden Park.

In Auckland, 50,000 people flocked to the sold-out concert to hear Six60 live, along with performances by Jess B, Dave Dobbyn, Troy Kingi, Maimoa and Drax Project.

It was the first time ever a New Zealand group had headlined a concert at the venue.

Eden Park chief executive officer Nick Sautner said concerts held there provide a muchneeded lift to the economy.

In January, Eden Park was granted permission to stage up to six concerts a year without having to gain resource consent for each, despite strong opposition by nearby residents.

The concert was also the first to be broadcast live to 11 Pacific Island countries through Pasifika TV, which is the flagship of a media initiative funded by the New Zealand Government.

The show was then screened via 19 broadcasters in Pacific Island countries, as well as the Veeps online live music site.

Pasifika TV is part of Pacific Co-operation Broadcasting, and chief executive Natasha Meleisia said the event was an exciting first. ‘‘Te Moana-nuia-kiwa [the Pacific Ocean] is what bonds Aotearoa and the Pacific, so it is quite fitting that this historic occasion for Six60 at Eden Park, is also met with an historic first for broadcasting a concert live from Ta¯maki Makaurau into the Pacific.

‘‘Six60 have been great to work with, and their embedded values of culture, language and wha¯nau resonate well with Pasifika ... Six60’s kind gesture to share their concert with more than 10.5 million people across 11 Pacific Islands- makes them natural ambassadors of music for Aotearoa.’’ – RNZ

AP Ji Fraser, left, and Matiu Walters, of Six60, perform at Eden Park in Auckland, on Saturday. Six60 is being billed as the biggest live act in the world. On Saturday, the band played a remarkable finale to their latest tour, performing in front of 50,000 people at the first-ever concert at Auckland’s Eden Park.