Record year for stadium
$60m estimated return to city
DUNEDIN’S Forsyth Barr Stadium has finished its biggest concert year to date with a ‘‘brilliant’’ performance by country pop star Shania Twain.
The Canadian singer pulled a crowd of 18,000 to the stadium for a collection of her bestknown hits and newer songs on Saturday night.
Dunedin Venues chief executive Terry Davies was full of praise for her performance and the behaviour of the crowd.
‘‘It was a terrific atmosphere.’’ A police spokeswoman reported the crowd was ‘‘a very civilised bunch’’ and well behaved.
Just one arrest was made — a fan who was first evicted for disorderly behaviour inside the stadium, then arrested after they ‘‘kept trying to get back in’’.
The concert also marked the end of a stellar year for Forsyth Barr Stadium, which has hosted eight major concerts and pulled in more than 200,000 fans — many of them from outside the city — since the start of January.
The biggest were three mammoth shows by pop superstar Ed Sheeran, but there were also performances by Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders, Roger Waters, Robbie Williams and Pink.
The economic return looked set to be worth $60 million for the city’s economy, which was a ‘‘phenomenal’’ result, he said.
‘‘It’s been a huge effort from the team.’’
Fans were also full of praise for Saturday night’s show, as many took to Facebook to express their joy afterwards.
‘‘It’s been a dream for 20 [years] to see Shania and she didn’t disappoint. Fantastic,’’ one fan said.
‘‘Fantastic show, enjoyed every minute of it. The sound was amazing. Shania is still the one!’’ said another.
Information published on the Pollstar website last week ranked Dunedin’s stadium 42nd in the world for ticket sales in 2018.
That put it just two spots below Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and ahead of the likes of the Tokyo Dome in Japan and Old Trafford Cricket Ground in England, which was ‘‘not a bad effort’’ for a city of Dunedin’s size, Mr Davies said.
Shania Twain brought her Now Tour to Dunedin on Saturday night for what was rumoured to be the veteran musician’s last concert. The 18,000 fans at the show danced, cheered and generally enjoyed the occasion, dry under the stadium roof despite the inclement weather outside. Stephen Jaquiery captured the mood.
THERE may be some things that don’t impress Shania Twain much but one thing is for sure — her fans certainly were left impressed by the final show of her Now Tour at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
With barely an empty seat in the house, the Canadian queen of country pop took the audience through a collection of her bestknown hits and some of her most recent tracks, which will surely go on to become classics in their own right.
Highfiving the crowd from the stands as she entered to the beats of the Queen classic We Will Rock You, Twain jumped on stage with a beaming smile and a sparkling dress to the delight of her adoring fans.
The 53yearold quickly transitioned into a crowd favourite in Come On Over, from her classic album of the same name, setting up a night of fun and entertainment.
Despite accusations of lip syncing in her Auckland shows earlier in the week, the crowd took her to their heart with plenty of dancing, screaming and cheering throughout the night.
Twain was quick to open up about her love for New Zea land, declaring it was her ‘‘second home’’, as well as her love for the country’s people, from whom she said she took heart when travelling the world.
‘‘I don’t know what I was waiting for, but all I can say is thank you for your outstanding welcome to your country.’’
Her fans didn’t have to wait long to get to hear one of her most wellknown songs, That Don’t Impress Me Much, which had the crowd singing along note for note as Twain was joined by energetic backup dancers, who seamlessly interacted with video cubes and loads of leopardskin print on stage.
Other classic hits taking fans on a nostalgic journey included Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?, Honey I’m Home and Any Man of Mine before the packed stadium was back in singalong mode as Twain belted out her wellknown ballad You’re Still The One.
The crowd continued to be in raptures throughout the night, taking part in kiss cams and dancing out into the aisles as dancing and bright lights helped pump up the energy on stage.
Three lucky fans were brought up on stage to take a selfie with the singer, who even took the time to answer the phone of one of her lucky guests, much to the delight of the audience.
And just when things seemed to be slowing down, some of her biggest hits followed as the show reached a crescendo, including From This Moment On, I’m Gonna Getcha Good! and (If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here!
But perhaps the biggest moment of the night and by far the biggest cheer was saved for her signature song Man! I Feel Like a Woman! which had every fan on their feet singing and dancing and showing nobody wanted to go home.
Twain then left the stage to a standing ovation and a large bouquet of flowers, thanking the crowd for their support.
Whether or not she tours again, one thing is for certain and that is Twain remains the undisputed queen of country pop.