Linkin Park completed their tour down under with a bang, and a box-office record.
The nu-metal veterans wrapped-up their From Zero World Tour of Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday night (March 18) with a career-spanning set at Auckland’s Spark Arena.
According to reps for Live Nation, which produced the jaunt, Spark Arena welcomed 12,736 ticket-holders, an all-time record for a single show at the arena.
Spark Arena’s top brass presented the band with an award to commemorate the milestone. “The atmosphere on the night underscored why Auckland remains a premier destination for global tours,” remarks Mark Gosling, GM of Spark Arena. “To break a nearly twenty-year attendance record is a testament to the band’s enduring connection with their fans and the strength of New Zealand’s live music scene.”
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Spark Arena first opened its doors to the public in 2007, when it was known as Vector Arena. It’s the largest indoor arena in NZ’s largest city, and is now part of Live Nation’s portfolio of venues.
“Linkin Park has always shared a unique bond with their fans here, but what we witnessed at Spark Arena in Auckland was on another level,” comments Michael Coppel, chairman, Live Nation Australia and New Zealand. “Breaking the all-time record for tickets at Spark Arena is a phenomenal achievement that caps off what has officially become the most successful Australia and New Zealand tour of the band’s career. To see them reach new heights decades into their journey is a testament to the enduring power of their music and the incredible energy of the Australasian fans.”
The tour was an eventful one, which saw one city miss out (Adelaide) with a late cancelation due to illness in the band. Then, when the trek visited Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena last weekend, Linkin Park had the honors of setting another milestone by welcoming the venue’s 15 millionth ticketholder.
The last time Linkin Park toured these parts was 13 years ago, in 2013, when the American band visited for the Soundwave Festival, the now-defunct Australian hard rock and heavy metal event.
Having visited the region in support of every album up to 2012’s Living Things, the band did not include Australia in their plans for 2014’s The Hunting Party tour, and no Aussie dates were scheduled for their One More Light world tour at the time of vocalist Chester Bennington‘s passing in July 2017.
The current touring party is Mike Shinoda, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, Joe Hahn, Colin Brittain and Emily Armstrong. Next up, Continental Europe, kicking off with a concert May 29 at 3Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
