Warning for commuters this weekend: Massive crowds to cause surge in public transport demand

Author: Samuel Sherry,
Publish Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2026, 4:09pm

Almost 100,000 people could be using Auckland’s transport network on Saturday, thanks to three major events, prompting Auckland Transport to run extra services.

The All Blacks, the New Zealand Warriors and the Harlem Globetrotters will all be putting on a show for combined crowds of more than 85,000 people in different parts of the city.

The All Blacks kick off against Ireland at 7.10pm at Eden Park, while the Warriors’ fixture against the St George Illawarra Dragons starts 25 minutes later at GoMedia Stadium and the Harlem Globetrotters begin their show slightly earlier, at 6pm, at Spark Arena.

Auckland Transport has scheduled special services to aid travel to and from these locations.

Anyone with a ticket for the All Blacks match can enjoy a free ride on a bus or train to and from Eden Park, with special event buses running from 4pm every 10 or 15 minutes along the Northern Busway from the Albany Bus Station, the CBD and from Botany and Pakūranga.

Anyone travelling from the North Shore has been encouraged to take one of the special event buses running every 10 minutes from Albany Station, which will stop at the Constellation, Sunnynook, Smales Farm and Akoranga bus stations.

The Warriors, the All Blacks and the Harlem Globetrotters will all be drawing crowds on Saturday in Auckland. Photo / Photosport

Special services will also run after the game, with those heading to the North Shore or East Auckland able to catch one from the Eden Park bus hub, while those heading to the CBD can hop on at New North Rd.

Extra trains will also be running, to handle the fans going in and out of Eden Park.

Meanwhile, the Warriors will play their first home NRL fixture in more than a month and fans will be able to move to and from Go Media Stadium with the help of extra train journeys from the nearby Penrose train station.

However, anyone travelling west after the match will need to catch a rail replacement bus at Newmarket and then jump back on the train at Morningside, as the Western Line will be closed between Waitematā (Britomart) and Morningside from 8.30pm to 10pm on Saturday.

Harlem Globetrotters fans have been advised train services will be running normally to and from train stations near Spark Arena alongside bus links, including the Inner Link frequent service, which runs every 10 to 15 minutes, to the arena near Quay Park.