Gamers rejoice: Spark creates gaming festival for Aotearoa

Kiwi gamers get excited – the first national gaming festival is coming to Auckland’s Spark Arena this September.

So far Aotearoa has been left out of the global gaming event circuit, but no longer, thanks to Spark.

“Gaming is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, yet it’s been largely overlooked in New Zealand,” says Matt Bain, Spark Marketing & Data Director.

“At Spark we want to leverage the power of technology to unleash an Aotearoa that is full of possibilities – this makes gaming a natural area of focus for us.”

The festival, Spark Game Arena Live, has been created in association with Colenso BBDO, Spur, Let’s Play Live, Buck, PHD Media and Bastion Shine. On September 7, it will bring 8,000 gamers together for a day of esports tournaments, talks, music and more.

“This festival is about creating a platform for the New Zealand gaming industry to come together and showcase some of the incredible game developers, animators, and visionaries that are building award-winning experiences,” Bain adds.

The lineup so far includes global heavy hitters such as Fall Guys and Fortnite, as well as talks from the likes of New Zealand Game Developers Association and Digital Natives Academy.

The festival will also host the finals of Spark’s ‘Rise Cup’ esports tournament featuring Fortnite, where gamers will compete for a prize pool worth over $ 140k.

Managing Partner at Colenson BBDO, Lucy Cole, says 79% of New Zealanders identify as gamers, yet they don’t feel catered for here but this new festival will do what Spark does best by bringing the best of the world to New Zealand.

“Gaming is a passion, it’s a career opportunity, and it’s validation of the power of the Spark network,” adds Cole. 

“It has been over two years in the making, and a phenomenal amount of work, but we’re hugely proud to have been able to partner with Spark and so many passionate others in this. Bring on September.”

The festival was announced via a CGI billboard in partnership with Mediaworks and Assembly, with OOH, VOD and paid social to support. Tickets are now on sale exclusively for Spark customers, with general release from July 3.

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