North Harbour Stadium

North Harbour Stadium Oval played host to the Tuborg Sounds On this past weekend, and I had the best NZ music outdoor concert in a long time.
Situated at North Harbour Stadium, in the oval next door is where one would usually watch a game of cricket, on this weekend night, a transformation took place as crowds filled in to watch top NZ musical stars perform for 11 hours.
I loved the designated area that was assigned for the food vendors, the section for the thrill rides, and that the masses of people attending the festival could be assured not a long wait as the stadium bathrooms catered well for the crowd.
The kitchen/​bar area was again easy to access, as it is also used for the same reason when the cricket is on show too.
I think the oval at North Shore Stadium is just a really well planned and accessible venue.
I hope to return for another event one day soon.

I’ve lived on the Shore ever since I’ve migrated to this beautiful land, initially by choice, and now by budget. So, I support Harbour Rugby, and try to catch as many live events at the North Harbour Stadium as possible. During the Rugby World Cup I managed to see the Springboks take on Samoa, and France being scared by the mighty Japanese.
I was also in attendance during the mismatch that was South Africa against their neighbours Namibia. But I’ve seen many Auckland derbies, and a few extreme biking events. Overall I love the stadium, and see it as a treasure for the North Shore, a treasure that should be used more, but a treasure none-​the-​less.
What I like about the stadium is that it is easy to access, there is never major parking issues, and you can use it as a location for business seminars.
How cool is it to show off your power point presentation, while the groundsman is painting the lines for the ITM Cup.

Commonly derided as a white elephant, North Harbour Stadium is one of those things that seemed like a good idea back in the 90s when they were building it before they realised there probably weren’t enough events to justify a 25,000-seat stadium this side of the bridge. Because of this, the stadium often sits unused looking a little bit unloved, and the local Harbour rugby team struggle to pull crowds given their inability to win a game.
In spite of all this, I maintain Harbour is the best rugby stadium in the city simply because it is rectangular unlike Eden Park which is kind of square in an attempt to fit a cricket oval in. Because of this there aint a bad view in the house, and you’re nice and close to the action. Good atmosphere when full — the Samoa vs South Africa World Cup game I attended here attested to that — what a memory!
A decent open air concert venue too — saw The Who here in 2009 and that’s quite a story. Managed to get into the VIP area for free with a mate by simply helping a roadie carry some security fencing into the stadium — pretty sweet night!