Big acts don't play Tauranga you say? Well Bay Venues chief executive Gary Dawson begs to differ.

Kiwi acts SOL3 Mio and Brooke Fraser, plus international reggae musician Jimmy Cliff, have all been booked to play the ASB Arena in the first quarter of next year.

ASB Arena. Photo: File.

And Gary says the Bay Venues team is working hard to ensure the ASB Arena and Stadium are the venues of choice for promoters and inroads have already been made.

Tickets are now available to the general public for SOL3 Mio, who are performing February 26, while Jimmy Cliff is confirmed for March 27 and Brooke Fraser will play April 1.

'All the more impressive is the fact Jimmy Cliff will only be offering two NZ concerts. One will be in Auckland, and he has chosen Tauranga's ASB Arena as his second concert venue,” says Gary.

ASB Arena can cater for up to 4,600 people for a standing concert but Gary believes the venue's true beauty lies in its flexibility.

The arena's dimensions and configurations can be changed to suit different types of events.

'The ASB Arena has had a lot of success in terms of hosting sport, exhibition and conference events,” he adds. 'We have well and truly proven ourselves in these markets.

'Now it is time to extend the emphasis to include art, music and cultural events in general.”

Gary says this is key to Bay Venues' strategy and they are in the first phase of doing exactly that, with further events being lined up.

But crucial to that is Tauranga locals getting behind Bay Venues' endeavours, he says.

He says: 'Tauranga people are saying they want this – they want big acts to come to their town.

'We want promoters to keep coming back to us. For this to happen, Tauranga people need to show their support.”

For further information on upcoming events, visit: www.bayvenues.co.nz