Sheeran weekend a big success

Dunedin (Monday, 2 April 2018) – Dunedin turned on a fantastic long weekend for Ed Sheeran and his many fans.

More than 100,000 people attended the English singer and songwriter’s three concerts at the Forsyth Barr Stadium over Easter, including 60,000 visitors to the city.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says it was one of the biggest weekends in Dunedin’s history and the city rose to the occasion.

“We’re really pleased with how well everything went overall. As well as the concerts themselves, there were many varied events on so everyone, both locals and visitors, had a chance to celebrate and be entertained.

“I’m thrilled at the way different Dunedin organisations, groups and businesses pulled together to make this a very special time for visitors and for residents.”

Mr Cull says the weekend is expected to have pumped more than $34 million into the local economy, including what visitors spent on accommodation, food, entertainment and shopping.

Dunedin City Council General Manager Community Services Simon Pickford says he is also very pleased that all the planning and preparations paid off.

“The huge number of visitors in the city was always going to put pressure on our traffic network, but overall people understood there would be delays and made allowances. We were delighted with the number of concert goers who left their cars at home and used the buses and free stadium shuttles or took the walking route. The popularity of initiatives such as the train between Mosgiel and Dunedin was great to see.”

Mr Pickford says as with any large event, there would be a debrief with key stakeholders to discuss what worked well and what could be improved for future events.

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