Fred Again.. sells out two Auckland shows at Spark Arena in a matter of minutes

Fred again performs at Day 3 of Glastonbury Festival 2023 on June 23, 2023 in Glastonbury, England. Photo / Getty Images

Musical sensation Fred Again.. sells out two shows at Auckland’s Spark Arena in a matter of minutes, with more than 60,000 fans queuing up online for a spot at one of his upcoming gigs.

It was announced today that UK DJ Fred Again.. will play two Auckland shows on March 26 and 27 at Spark Arena.

Tickets to his two shows went on sale at 1 pm today on Ticketmaster after the Rumble hitmaker posted on his social media, “Auckland I seeeees u. Gimme like 45!”

The ticket portal, similar to that of Taylor Swift’s ticket queue system, had fans waiting to nab the coveted tickets. More than 60,000 people were waiting on the page in hopes of nabbing a spot at one of the gigs. However, in just half an hour, all of the tickets had sold out.

The UK-based artist arrived in Wellington yesterday and confirmed he will be playing a show at Waitangi Park this Friday.

There had been wide speculation that he will play a gig in the capital on Friday night. “I f***ing love Wellington, obviously – that’s why we’re coming back. We made sure of it,” he told 1News.

The British music artist has been touring Australia for the past few weeks, performing in cities such as Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

Ever since he started performing across the ditch speculation had been building of whether he would perform shows in New Zealand.

UK DJ Fred again.. has arrived in Wellington and confirmed he will be playing a show in the city. Photo / Supplied

Who is Fred Again..?

Fred Again.. — or Fred Gibson — is an English producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and DJ, whose genre-defying songs and big-name collaborations have earned him a spot on the global festival circuit, playing at last year’s Coachella, Glastonbury and Laneway in Australia.

While a regular name in the electronic music sphere, the DJ owes his quick ascent into the spotlight to his Boiler Room set two years ago.

In July 2022, Gibson performed at the iconic venue in London. A clip from the gig not only went viral on TikTok and Instagram, but became the most-watched set on Boiler Room’s YouTube channel — ever.

Since then, Fred Again.. has seen his career flourish, collaborating with big names such as Skrillex and playing at some of the most popular festivals in the world. “Fred Again.. had the crowd in the palm of his hand” at Glastonbury 2023, according to Music Tech, and when Frank Ocean exited the Coachella 2023 lineup, Fred Again.. and the Bangarang hitmaker were there to take his place and give festival attendees the show of a lifetime. Many social media users praised the set as the highlight of the California festival.

The DJ also played a slew of shows across Australia and New Zealand, headlining Laneway festival in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, along with a gig at Shed 6 in Wellington and, in true Fred fashion, a pop-up show while in the windy city.

However, when it was time to make his way up to Auckland, fans had another thing coming: Cyclone Gabrielle. Laneway was cancelled, Gibson was Wellington-bound and hopeful festival-goers hung up their boots and bum bags.

The festival cancellation, while a huge disappointment for Aucklanders and a blow for artists, highlighted just how popular Fred Again.. was, and just how desperate people were to see the musical sensation again.

Since then, his success has continued to skyrocket. Fred Again.. was nominated for Best New Artist at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards and won Best Dance/Electronic Album for Actual Life 3 and Best Dance/Electronic Recording for Rumble.

On April 10 last year, Gibson appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, which racked up 8.3 million views, and in December he released Leavemealone featuring Baby Keem, which has over 62 million streams on Spotify.

Why do we love Fred Again..?

Perhaps it is his unassuming charm, his fresh multi-instrumental take on electronic music or his seemingly “for everyone” genre which he inserts himself into, but there is no one type of Fred Again.. fan. In fact, when gracing a mosh at one of his gigs, you’ll most likely find an array of characters and individuals in attendance, proof of the fact that his fan base stretches far and wide, and perhaps the idea of popular music might be shifting its tone.

Of course, his social media presence is a big factor in his international acclaim, which not only presents to the world a down-to-earth DJ touring around with his friends, but offers an intimate look at Gibson’s life, enveloping fans into a close fold that feels like friendship. While a seemingly smart strategy for a modern artist, creating a sense of loyalty and connection with his audience, I get the impression it’s not all a giant marketing scheme.

The star, during his time in Wellington last year, shared his location on his story, asking fans to come and play chess with him. It is this kind of thing that distances Fred Again.. away from the fame and into people’s perception of reality. He feels accessible. One of the biggest music artists of 2024 plays chess? And he wants to play chess with me? It makes him a little less celebrity and a little more loveable. It’s clearly working for him, because boy oh boy, do we love Fred Again..