One of the country’s biggest Metallica fans, 12 year old Havelock North boy William Bush, got his wish for the heavy metal icons to perform in New Zealand, with today’s announcement of a one-off show at Mt Smart Stadium on 31 October as part of their WorldWired Tour.
Having created a petition late last year to bring Metallica to New Zealand, which got 7,000 signatures, William was today given prized tickets to see Metallica perform in October and also had the privilege of meeting another Metallica fan - New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.
The Prime Minister wrote a personal letter to William Bush last year when she heard about his efforts to get the band to New Zealand. She was at Mt Smart Stadium today to meet William and thank him for his efforts in encouraging the band to return to New Zealand.
William says he has been blown away by the day, and can’t wait to see his favourite band play in October.
“This has been a pretty amazing day! Meeting the Prime Minister who supported the efforts of my petition and getting Metallica tickets is awesome. I definitely didn’t expect that I would end up getting my wish for them to play in New Zealand, and then to meet the Prime Minister after she wrote such a nice letter to me last year was pretty incredible too,” said William.
Regional Facilities Auckland CEO, Chris Brooks, says that the announcement today further proves that Auckland is fast becoming the music hotspot in New Zealand.
“With the help of Live Nation and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, having Metallica play exclusively at Mt Smart is a major announcement for Auckland", he says.
Mt Smart Stadium is the principal outdoor concert venue in New Zealand and widely known for hosting great artists, so we’re really pleased to be adding to our 2019 offering with today’s announcement.
The exclusive show at Mt Smart Stadium will be Metallica’s first concert in nine years and their first ever headline stadium show in New Zealand and the tour’s promoter, Live Nation’s Chairman Michael Coppel says, “It’s been my privilege to have promoted Metallica for over 30 years in Australia and New Zealand.
"The band are on a career high, selling out across Europe and the USA, and I’m really looking forward to seeing Metallica playing in front of packed out stadiums here and in Australia. With the legendary Slipknot on board, this tour is going to break some records.”
ATEED Chief Executive Nick Hill says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Auckland and will attract thousands of out-of-town visitors to the region and contribute millions to the economy.
“We are thrilled to have helped RFA and Live Nation secure this exclusive opportunity, attracting high calibre acts like Metallica adds further weight to Auckland’s UNESCO City of Music credentials.”
Tickets for Metallica at Mt Smart Stadium go on sale on 18 March from Ticketmaster.
For more information, please contact:
Ryan Hamilton
Marketing and Communications Manager – Auckland Stadiums
Mobile: +64 27 226 8295
