Auckland is about to host the opening night of Ed Sheeran’s global 2026 Loop Tour and the scale of the production is already clear.
From above, Go Media Stadium is ringed by cranes, trucks and crew, transforming the venue into the first stop of Sheeran’s world tour this year. The circular stage, massive video infrastructure and logistical footprint mark one of the largest concert builds ever attempted in New Zealand.
Much of the show remained under wraps, but those working on the tour said fans were about to see something entirely new.
"We’ve got a few nice new gags – some fun things to try," said Loop Tour head of production Chris Marsh, who has worked alongside Sheeran on multiple stadium tours.
At the centre of the build was what organisers described as the largest video screen ever constructed in New Zealand for a concert, a structure designed to ensure every seat in the stadium felt close to the performance.
"It’s no small feat to build what is going to be the largest video screen ever built in this country," Marsh said. :There are pieces coming from all over the world – Canada, Europe, the UK – all coming together here for the first time."
Big stage, intimate show
Despite the scale and technology behind the Loop Tour, Marsh said the focus has never shifted away from what Sheeran did best.
When 1News spoke to the Shape of You hitmaker six months ago as he announced the tour, the singer said the stages grew larger but the heart of his shows remained unchanged.
"Everyone comes for the same thing," Sheeran said at the time. "It’s a big communal moment where everyone’s connected by the same songs."
That sense of connection has shaped the design of the tour, with organisers working to bring Sheeran’s traditionally intimate, guitar-driven performances into stadium settings without losing their closeness.
Auckland was known for its "four seasons in one day" reputation but organisers said the show was built to withstand whatever the conditions threw at it.
"This is a world tour, so we’ll encounter all kinds of weather," Marsh said. "Starting here, where you really can’t predict it, is part of the fun."
Major summer for concerts and the economy
The Loop Tour arrives as Auckland enters one of its busiest live entertainment periods in years, with more than two dozen large-scale concerts and festivals scheduled for the first half of 2026, including Laneway Festival and Lorde.
According to Auckland Unlimited, major events like these were already delivering significant economic benefits.
Of the events the agency invested in last year, seven returned an estimated $12 million into Auckland’s economy, generating 77,000 accommodation nights.
"They’re significant in the grand scheme of things," said Auckland Unlimited director Annie Dundas. "Large-scale concerts provide the opportunity not just to fill hotel rooms, but to support restaurants, bars and businesses right across the city."
The economic ripple was also expected to extend beyond Auckland as the tour moved south.
Wellington ready for Sheeran's return
In Wellington, preparations were underway to welcome around 35,000 fans to Sky Stadium next week, with organisers estimating about 30% of concert-goers would travel from outside the region.
Hotels were already seeing a strong uplift in bookings, with several reporting significant year-on-year increases in occupancy and revenue during the concert period.
WellingtonNZ chief executive Mark Oldershaw said the concert was expected to bring a major boost to the city’s hospitality and retail sectors.
"Sheeran is a world-class artist, and his concerts create unforgettable experiences for fans and families alike," he said. "Events like this bring a real buzz to Wellington and showcase the best of what our city has to offer."
Adrian Williams, chief operating officer for Accor in the Pacific region, said the Wellington concert was driving a strong surge in hotel demand.
"Accor’s Wellington hotels [are] already up 36% for the concert night when compared to last year," he said. "Globally, tourism is increasingly event-driven, and this result highlights why it’s so important for government to continue investing in long-term, event-driven demand.
"Major events like this not only fill hotel rooms, but also provide a significant boost to the wider visitor economy."
Getting fans there and home
In Auckland, the challenge won’t just be hosting the crowds, but moving them.
Parts of the rail network were offline due to scheduled upgrades and Auckland Transport has rolled out a bus replacement and event transport plan.
"We’re very confident we can handle it," Auckland Transport operations centre manager Claire Howard said.
"We’ve got rail replacement buses operating, as well as special event buses leaving from the city every ten minutes to get people to and from the concerts."
Howard said staff would be monitoring the network in real time, using CCTV and live data to respond quickly to any congestion or delays.
For those planning to drive, Auckland Transport advised fans to allow for extra time, with more road closures and traffic pressure expected than usual.
Ed Sheeran: The numbers
The Loop Tour will span five stadium shows across three New Zealand cities, after extra dates were added due to demand.
In Auckland, Sheeran is playing two nights at Go Media Stadium, with up to 45,000 fans expected per show, making it the official launch point of his world tour.
In Wellington, around 35,000 fans are expected to fill Sky Stadium, with organisers saying roughly 30% of concert-goers are travelling from outside the region, delivering a major boost to hotels, restaurants and bars across the capital.
Sheeran will wrap up the New Zealand leg with two back-to-back stadium shows in Christchurch, bringing tens of thousands more fans into the city over the final weekend of the tour.
Across all five shows, Sheeran is expected to perform to well over 200,000 Kiwis.
Beyond the crowds, Sheeran’s reach is enormous. He is one of the most-streamed artists in the world, with tens of billions of streams globally, multiple songs surpassing the 1-billion-stream mark, and a catalogue that consistently ranks among Spotify’s most played of all time.
His previous tours have broken attendance records worldwide, and his last visit to New Zealand in 2023 filled Eden Park, following an earlier run at Go Media Stadium in 2018.
Now, with Auckland opening the Loop Tour and two more cities to follow, the numbers point to another record-setting run – for fans, for venues, and for the cities hosting one of the biggest live music productions ever brought to New Zealand.
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