AC/DC to rock the stadium

AC/DC perform live

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Their dirty deeds may be done dirt cheap, but top rockers AC/DC could be worth $10 million to Wellington.

The top-selling Australian rock band, which has sold more than 200 million albums, will play Westpac Stadium on January 30 and Auckland on February 6.

The announcement follows months of speculation that the band, which last played Wellington in 1991, would return, and confirmation by the The Dominion Post that the stadium had been booked in late January for a music act. The scale of AC/DC's show requires 48 semi-trailers to move the equipment.

Wellington City Council events manager John Dawson said because of AC/DC's wide appeal the band had the potential to sell more than 35,000 tickets. Based on concerts at the stadium, including The Rolling Stones in 2006, up to 50 per cent of ticket buyers would be from outside the region. A Saturday concert meant many fans would stay the weekend. Overall, it could contribute about $10 million to the capital's economy.

Mr Dawson said the estimate was based on analysis of the Neil Diamond concert in 2005, which sold 32,000 tickets and injected about $8 million into the city. AC/DC, who formed in Sydney in 1973, were also similar to The Rolling Stones in that they appealed to different age groups, he said.

Ticket prices will be revealed in a few weeks.

- © Fairfax NZ News