AusLeisure

Blaming New Zealand Government’s COVID restrictions and lack of business support Wellington concert promoter wraps up after 30 years

Phil Sprey, Wellington's only concert promoter, has advised that he is calling a halt to his Capital C: Concerts business after 30 years, blaming the New Zealand Government’s ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and lack of support for the events and entertainment sector.

As reported by the NZ Herald, Sprey said this week’s decision by the New Zealand Government to remain in the ‘red traffic light’ setting, limiting crowd numbers in indoor venue to just 200 people, was the "final straw" and made his business no longer viable. So-called ‘red light’ restrictions have been implemented for another 10 days, meaning indoor crowds are limited to just 200 people.

Sprey, whose Capital C Concerts has worked with the likes of Elton John, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osbourne over the last 30 years, stated "the reason is all the lack of movement from government to help the hospitality entertainment industry through a very tough period.

"And now the announcement that we're still in red, it doesn't make it very sensible to try to fight an uphill battle.

"You can't do deals with artists, you can't secure anything, you can't make the public feel confident that an event you might be arranging will actually go ahead."

Slamming New Zealand Government officials, in a post on the company’s website he noted “nobody’s giving clear, long-term answers - and on that basis you can’t do international deals.

“For domestically based promoters it’s becoming nigh on impossible at the moment because you can’t write a contract.

Sprey said he had planned to pass the business on to his son when he retired, but noted "instead of passing my business on to my eldest son, I had to make him redundant, unemployed and now can't even leave him anything more than a memory.

"Like others in the arts and entertainment industries we are considered by this government as expendable".

Operating for 30 years, Capital C: Concerts’ history also included events such as the ethnic festival Go Dutch and the Dresses for Humanity exhibition of the late Princess Diana's dresses.

The company had specialised in major stadium-sized concerts until COVID-19, but said in the past two years they had nothing, "including no help from the Labour Government".

The New Zealand Government announced last month that it was extending the Events Transition Support Payment scheme until January 2023. That scheme offers a 90% subsidy of unrecoverable costs to events with more than 5,000 people cancelled due to restrictions.

However, Sprey cannot benefit as he has not been able to book international acts due to the pandemic.

Sprey said it was also now difficult to get insurance to cover big events, and many artists were not wanting to tour.

Images: Elton John is among acts promoted by Capital C Concerts (top, credit: Chugg Entertainment) and Capital C: Concerts closure announcement from Facebook (below).

Related Articles

23rd March 2022 - New Zealand Government announces end of vaccine passes and return of crowds to outdoor events

22nd March 2022 - Mushroom Group and AEG announce new executive and leadership structure for Frontier Touring

17th March 2022 - New Zealand border reopening welcomed by business events industry

16th March 2022 - New Zealand Government announces border reopening for vaccinated travellers

8th March 2022 - COVID restrictions force cancellation of New Zealand Rhythm and Vines festival

7th February 2022 - New Zealand Government announces $120 million to support arts and culture recover from Omicron

7th December 2021 - Wellington City Council pays $3.6 million to cover COVID-19 cancellation of art event

29th November 2021 - Excellence recognised at New Zealand’s 2021 Entertainment Venue Awards

20th November 2021 - Hamilton venues to operate as fully vaccinated facilities as part of new COVID-19 protection framework

17th November 2021 - Event ticketing and tourism agencies move to integrate New Zealand’s My Vaccine Pass

16th November 2021 - EVANZ announce new insurance partnership to benefit members

9th November 2021 - New Zealand government launches insurance scheme for major summer festivals

2nd November 2021 - Wellington City Council announces convention centre operating partnership with Te Papa

10th October 2021 - Organisers insist attendees at Wanaka’s Rhythm and Alps festival must be vaccinated

27th September 2021 - Promoter Paul Dainty confirms postponement of Guns N’ Roses’ Australasian tour to late 2022

14th September 2021 - ILT Stadium Southland General Manager say opening venue is financially pointless

6th September 2021 - Coronavirus lockdown set to be eased for all New Zealand except Auckland

17th June 2021 - New trust to drive return of major musical theatre productions to Wellington

31st May 2021 - Future secured for Womad NZ with $1.9 million insurance confirmed for 2022

14th May 2021 - Registrations open for EVANZ Mid-Year Conference in Auckland

11th May 2021 - Ticket Rocket creditors told to look to banks for chargebacks on unredeemed tickets

25th March 2021 - Stats NZ survey highlights the New Zealand businesses hardest hit by COVID-19 restrictions

14th February 2021 - Wellington’s Sky Stadium hosts largest crowd for a concert anywhere in the world for nearly a year

18th January 2020 - Wellington’s St James Theatre set to be ready for 2022 New Zealand Festival

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.