Colleges may take 1000 fans
UNIVERSITY colleges could offer 1000plus beds to Elton John and Masters Games fans struggling for accommodation.
The Rocket Man will play here on February 4, 2020. The games will be from February 1 to 9.
Most booking websites show no available rooms in the city for the night of the concert.
iSite Dunedin visitor centre manager Louise van de Vlierd said it was working with university colleges to provide beds.
There was no information yet on prices or which colleges would be used, but one of the larger halls would likely be offered first. The number of beds was unclear, but it would ‘‘absolutely’’ be in the hundreds, possibly topping 1000.
The option was open because the concert was before the university year started.
Arana College was full with fans during Fleetwood Mac’s 2015 concert. Accommodation would therefore not be an issue, she said.
‘‘It’ll be great. Very exciting.’’ Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive Terry Davies said holding the concert concurrently with the games was a bonus and not a burden.
‘‘It’s an opportunity to sell more tickets. We want to drive economic impact and it’s an opportunity for the city to maximise that.’’
There was no conversation with promoters about trying to move it to a different date.
Elton John was the first artist to perform at the stadium after it opened in 2011.
‘‘The last show was a sellout. I’d like to think we can do a sellout again.’’
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan said the extra visitors would be a ‘‘great thing’’ for Dunedin, but would not be without ‘‘logistical issues’’.
‘‘The good thing is conversations and planning are starting early.’’
The Ed Sheeran weekend last year showed the city could handle high volumes of people, he said.
‘‘We can create other events that sit within it to create an environment where people can enjoy the city’s hospitality.’’
Traffic flow management would be important in and out of the city and conversations were starting around vehicle closure in the Octagon that day, he said.
The numbers of people who would come through were unknown, but Elton John would likely draw many fans from outside the region.