Employers are being advised by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to let staff leave early on Thursday if they're going to the Adele concert.
The British songstress is set to begin performing at 7:30pm sharp, with no support act, with warnings of long commute times and traffic chaos.
While there are bus and train options for getting to the Mt Smart Stadium venue in Penrose, all forms of transport to the gig are expected to be busy, especially as they'll be competing with regular daily rush hour traffic.
Auckland's Chamber of Commerce says it's time for a bit of goodwill from bosses.
"I'd be inclined to treat it as a health & safety issue. The stress you're going to apply by not letting staff get away early if they're going to the concert just isn't worth it," says Chief Executive Michael Barnett.
"I don't think there should be any discussion about this. It's a one-off concert, a lot of staff have invested in tickets, so let them make a day of it. Don't put any more stress on them. The traffic is bad enough, so give them a health & safety hour by getting away early."
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Up to 45,000 are expected to attend the concert tonight, ahead of her performing again on Saturday and Sunday nights. The huge amount of tickets sold broke New Zealand records.
Auckland Transport has advised fans to arrive by 6:30pm to avoid disappointment and to expect travelling to the venue from the central city to take up to two hours.
What you need to know about Adele's Auckland 2017 shows:
- Free public transport - Auckland Transport is offering extra public transport services which can be free with your Adele ticket.
- Be prepared for traffic both ways - what goes in must come out and you're probably in for a long ride home.
- Make sure you check your ticket, know where you're sitting and what gate to use.
- You should never buy tickets from anywhere except the official sources - Ticketek or Ticketmaster. Promoter Live Nation says tickets purchased from scalper sites such as Viagogo, Ticketblaster, Queen of Tickets or eBay may not get you through the door.
- If you're going on Saturday and Sunday's shows, rain is predicted. The shows will go ahead no matter how wet it is and you can't take an umbrella in, so take a raincoat or poncho.
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. It's a concert, not a fashion show, and a few hours standing in the same spot in high heels is simply not worth it.
- Adele doesn't like laser pointers or glow sticks at her gigs. Also, instead of recording average footage on your phone, enjoy the concert with your eyes and watch a professionally filmed DVD later instead.
This is Adele's first ever trip to New Zealand and if you're going, you're helping her make history.
Enjoy yourself, but be safe.
Newshub.
