Linkin Park wrapped up the Australia and New Zealand leg of their ‘From Zero’ world tour this week with a bang.
The California-founded outfit played the last show of the tour at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Wednesday night, which was attended by 12,736 fans; a new record for the venue since it opened in 2007.
The milestone was celebrated with a commemorative presentation held backstage before the show.
“The atmosphere on the night underscored why Auckland remains a premier destination for global tours,” Spark Arena general manager, Mark Gosling said.
“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.”
Michael Coppel, Chairman, Live Nation Australia and New Zealand, added: “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.
“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.”
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The news comes only days after it was revealed that Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena also reached a major milestone, after it sold its 15 millionth ticket during Linkin Park’s sold-out concert last weekend.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ attended the opening show in Brisbane earlier this month, saying the group “celebrated both new and old flames”.
“The closing stretch — ‘Numb’, ‘In the End’, a lung-shredding ‘Faint’ — arrived with the weight of songs that have meant something to too many people for too long to ever feel routine. The encore brought ‘Papercut’, ‘Heavy Is the Crown’, and finally ‘Bleed It Out’, extended with a Fort Minor verse buried in the bridge, closing the night in a breathless, confetti-dusted blur,” the review reads.
“’It’s been a long time for us to come back to Brisbane,’ Shinoda said before the final song. ‘Hopefully it doesn’t take us as long to come back next time.’ Australia will definitely be holding him to that.”
Read the full review here.
