British songstress Adele has kicked off her first New Zealand show to 45,000 adorning fans, and a couple of annoying bugs, in Auckland.
Her epic circular stage was set up in the middle of the field at Mt Smart Stadium, and as usual she was secretly escorted to it in an inconspicuous road case.
The superstar had the crowd laughing from the start with her own chuckles and dry, self-deprecating humour.
"If you're here to have a good time, well I hope so, but obviously my songs are so miserable so it's quite awkward," she said to enthralled fans.
The crowd was in hysterics when she had a confrontation with a couple of beetles on the stage.
She was followed around by the bugs for some time until she screamed, almost had a breakdown and appeared to go into the foetal position.
"It's coming back to haunt me, look it's my number one fan," she cried.
"Can someone get me some bug spray? I'm gonna drink it."
Hamilton teen Tegan jumped up on stage to help, gave her a fluffy kiwi toy, got a selfie, and the show went on.
One of the most poignant moments of the night was when Adele dedicated her cover of Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love' to the victims of Thursday's London terror attack.
The AM Show social media presenter Aziz Al-Sa'afin was up front, and says it was the best concert he's ever been to.
"The experience was absolutely incredible," he told Duncan Garner on Friday morning.
"Her voice… Flawless. There are very few artists who are better live than they are on their albums."
Prime Minister Bill English also tweeted 'Hello' from the show with his wife Mary.
Despite the bugs, she praised New Zealand's cooler climate.
"I've just been in Australia sweating my tits off, so not only am I happy to be in New Zealand just for being here, but also your weather is much more my cup of tea."
She also got the crowd to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her Kiwi make-up man, Michael Ashton.
Newshub.
