Prices for the February 16 event at Trafalgar Park were announced Tuesday and range from $15 for ground seating to $120 for “gold” seating close to the stage with access to corporate hospitality areas. All tickets to last year’s opera held at Saxton Field cost $10. Sealord Summer Festival director Annabel Norman said to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary, an “incredibly prestigious concert” was planned, but it would be “incredibly expensive” to stage.

Council community services divisional manager Susan Coleman said income from the event was expected to be $561,778. The council had initially agreed to underwrite the concert by $140,000 but raised this to $274,000 in September because of the increased cost of staging the event. Mrs Coleman said this year’s Opera in the Park was a different event to mark its anniversary.

Ms Norman would not say how much it would cost to bring the performers to Nelson because they had signed confidential contracts. “We’ve got three if not four of New Zealand’s greatest opera stars,” she said. Singers Jonathan Lemalu, Simon O’Neill and Helen Medlyn will perform at the event. Ms Norman did not think the new ticket structure would turn people off attending, and said there had been a lot of interest in the concert.

“It will be a highly exclusive event at one level, but at the other end there is still an opportunity to come with your family and be a picnicker and be a bit more relaxed.” Patrons buying the more expensive tickets would subsidise the $15 tickets and would get access to food and bar services and toilets instead of portaloos. They would be seated closest to the stage, and would be close enough to see Dame Kiri “in the flesh”. Silver tickets, for seats behind the gold section, will cost $90.