Elton John Auckland

The majority of the upgrade isn't expected to be finished until the end of 2024 so this track about tracks is going to be stuck on a loop. Transport minister ...

“Drivers of high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists are advised to avoid the Auckland Harbour Bridge and use the western ring route on State Highways 16 and 18. “Blustery winds and heavy rain increases the risk of travel delays, especially around Coromandel,” said a tweet. That’s particularly bad news for those of us at the top of the country, with anniversary weekend for both Auckland and Northland, along with those planning on attending the Laneway Festival on Monday, which is now poised to be taking place in a swamp.

Sir Elton John wowed a sell-out crowd in Christchurch this week and tonight and tomorrow will be his last ever Auckland shows. Mt Smart Stadium is the venu.

Auckland Transport has come under fire from the Transport Minister and AM hosts for suggesting Sir Elton John concertgoers drive to Mt Smart Stadium on ...

About 40000 Elton John fans and limited public transport could be a recipe for disaster, but Auckland Transport is "confident" it'll be fine.

* There will be no trains running on Saturday to take fans to the Elton John concert, but there will be buses. “This can sometimes be challenging for staff immediately after a concert, due to the volume of patrons leaving the venue, and staff take this concern into consideration.” “Police’s role is to monitor crowds and be on the watch for disorderly behaviour,” Wilson said in a statement. Ranginui said there were many “near misses” with “intoxicated people” walking in the middle of the road cars were trying to drive down, especially from cars who parked in businesses near the stadium. Ranginui suggested police should be helping to direct traffic, “considering the volume of people”. [swarmed out of Mt Smart at 10pm, when the concert had finished.](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/300628399/red-hot-chili-peppers-coming-to-new-zealand-alongside-post-malone) The Stuff reporter who was physically moved by the bus driver after trying to use their concert ticket as a fare said “there should be a better system in place to make sure all of their bus drivers know”. “We are confident this won’t happen again as we have now updated the process of sending updates to the depots,” the spokesperson said. [The spokesperson said Auckland Transport](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130671720/fare-rise-double-whammy-could-hit-auckland-public-transport-users) “will also be ensuring operators have information about special events way ahead of time”. “We need to be using these big events to be encouraging public transport.” Wood, appearing on Newshub’s AM show on Friday morning, said a social media post from AT on Thursday telling people the Penrose train station near Mt Smart was closed and that gig-goers should drive to the venue was “pretty weird”.

Count the headlights on the highway, because it's going to be a long, long time to get to Mt Smart Stadium this weekend. Here's 10 songs for the drive.

It feels like AT could not be stanning Elton harder than in their commitment to “deny the passenger who want to get on.” The taunting sing-song way Elton repeats “who want to get on (who want to get on)” truly feels like a personal attack on everyone in Tāmaki Mākaurau this weekend, and although he wrote it way back in 1984, you might feel he should apologise. Also a very fitting opportunity to “count the headlights on the highway” and see what number you come home with when you inevitably sit down to send an angry email to AT. Given that those trying to get to and from Elton using public transport will be “packed pretty tight”, we can only hope that crowds bring “none of your aggravation” to what will surely be a tense experience. [dock-rocker Rod Stewart](https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/13-03-2021/review-rod-stewart-rocks-the-dock-in-auckland-while-puttering-down-the-thames-in-london), this one will hit home for those who choose to follow AT’s advice. On Friday night this is an anthem for Penrose Station, the closest train station to Mount Smart, that will be closed due to the Rail Network Rebuild. But then he sings “company conductor / you need the salt of tears / falling on a ticket / that no-one’s used in years” and maybe he saw all of this coming four decades ago? The reason for this series of “sorry seems to be the hardest word” events is a major rail network upgrade. [$100,000 if you want a cool one](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/14-02-2022/better-than-cash-in-the-bank-why-90s-boy-racer-cars-are-selling-for-mega-bucks). In a bid to promote public transport use and mode shift, AT has often worked in collaboration with music, festival and sports promoters to make taking public transport to events easy, including the cost of a train or bus ticket in the event ticket. Find a friend or distant acquaintance who lives even remotely close to the stadium and see if they have a driveway or lawn you can park on. One of the advantages of concerts at Mt Smart has always been that it’s a 10-15 minute walk from Penrose Station to the stadium and trains have been an effective way of getting thousands of people there and back. [have been advised to drive or walk there](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/aucklanders-dismayed-at-ats-recomendation-to-drive-their-cars-to-elton-john-concerts/LTRDNQDYVRCG5EHDK3CFXMRUQY/) by Auckland Transport (AT).

Auckland Transport (AT) outraged ticketholders to Sir Elton's shows after cancelling all trains to and from Penrose Station near host venue Mt Smart Stadium ...

The recommendation from Auckland Transport (AT) on Facebook that people drive to this weekend's two Elton John concerts at Mt Smart Stadium has been heavily ...

Another oddity, he says, is AT encouraging people to drive considering its commitment to carbon reduction and the fact that for many concert-goers, this might be the only time they use public transportation. “The logistics around Mt Smart are challenging at the best of times and this is probably the worst of times with no trains also. People were never told then to drive yet rail wasn’t working either,” she wrote on Twitter. “It’s a bit of an exercise in shoulder-shrugging, which is just disgraceful,” he said. “If 10-15,000 cars converge on Mt Smart, drivers risk finding themselves in heated contest for the very few available car parks. Or somehow all fit on buses that leave from the city ONLY once every ten mins????

The yellow brick road to Mt Smart stadium looks to be packed this weekend as thousands travel to dual Elton John concerts.

Saying to go early is a good plan but now with the weather, going early is not such a good plan, so it’s going to put a lot of pressure on the roads. “It’s difficult and I think a recommendation to take your car is definitely not the way to go. Reader donations are critical to what we do. Then there’s contractors for buses, which means you can ask them to do certain things and that doesn’t mean that’s necessarily what will happen all of the time.” “The bus was full.” “We’re talking about 40,000 people potentially gathering in a single location with no public transportation but buses, so I don’t see a way around chaos,” he said.

Statement from Auckland Transport Interim Chief Executive Mark Lambert A message was published last night on our Facebook page that suggested people should ...

- Special event buses will be going to and from Auckland City Centre before and after the concert. Via the promoted we have reinforced these options to all ticketholders. - We have promoted a limited number of free parking spaces within the vicinity of Mt Smart, along with a significant amount of free, non-time limited carparking that is available close to Mt Smart Stadium.

Auckland Transport received backlash after recommending people drive to the concert over taking public transport.

Via the promotion, we have reinforced these options to all ticketholders. It just made no sense," she said. We should be promoting public transport, but now we're encouraging people to get in their cars and drive?

Auckland Transport is in the middle of a fiasco around getting fans to and from Elton John's concerts in Auckland this weekend. The first gig gets underway ...

Add to that a key train station closure and no train services in the city at all on Saturday for Elton John's second show, following a decision to shut for maintenance. Auckland Transport is in the middle of a fiasco around getting fans to and from Elton John's concerts in Auckland this weekend. The first gig gets underway shortly at Mount Smart Stadium with 40,000 heading along in the face of a thunderous weather forecast too.

Witnesses have told the Herald of flash flooding on streets around the stadium.

One, who came up from Mt Maunganui, said: “They knew the weather was going to be atrocious but they said Elton would play rain or shine. People didn’t have to be told twice and poured quickly out of the stadium Fans were evacuated from the stadium and were asked to follow the directions of venue staff.

Concertgoers heard the announcement with a graphic reading: "This is an evacuation; please follow the direction of venue staff to the nearest exit."

It’s not the first time Elton John has had to cancel a show in Auckland - his 2021 show was canned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020 he had to cut his Auckland show short due to suffering with "walking pneumonia". Thousands of concertgoers had to evacuate Mt Smart Stadium after the Elton John Concert was called off due to torrential rain this evening.

Torrential rains caused widespread flooding in New Zealand's biggest city Auckland on Friday, bringing emergency services were into action and forcing ...

as soon as possible," Auckland Transport said in a statement on Twitter. "Given the weather, tonight's show has been cancelled. No details were immediately available on how many people had been evacuated so far.

Transport links have been impacted and homes evacuated due to the unseasonable weather - with Elton John fans left disappointed at the timing of the concert ...

"After the gig was called off, hundreds of people queued in the downpours for the shuttle buses and I saw some people chant for Elton in the hope he'd come on - but it was like a literal river there." The agency was urging callers to clear the lines for those in immediate danger. It was raining heavily on the way to the stadium and I kept checking for announcements but nothing came, despite puddles being up to my ankles. Torrential rain and wild weather in Auckland has caused major disruption throughout the city - and even led to an Elton John concert being cancelled just minutes before he was due on stage. Thousands were already at the venue when organisers decided to cancel shortly before the rock legend was due to take the stage. Transport links have been impacted and homes evacuated due to the unseasonable weather - with Elton John fans left disappointed at the timing of the concert cancellation.

However, less than 30 minutes before Elton John was due to take the stage at Mt Smart stadium, organisers pulled the pin on his concert. Auckland Transport ...

Auckland Transport group manager of metro services Darek Koper said it was disappointing people were unable to use the trains this weekend. It ran the risk of turning people off public transport due to their loss of confidence in it. Koper agreed bus capacity would fall short of the numbers of people who could have travelled by train. "Unfortunately we have a limited resources. Our operations team is working to redirect special event buses to help get people back home from Mt Smart as soon as possible. We're asking for everyone's patience as our team works to get people home safely— Auckland Transport (@AklTransport)