Bring on summer music concerts
Winter may be mere days away but that doesn’t mean you can’t start daydreaming about all those concerts and festivals you are going to attend in the summer.
Greenstone Entertainment announced yesterday that its popular music festival, the Summer Concert tour — which includes annual shows in Taupō and Gibbston, will be returning in 2024. However, it is leaving one major location off the list.
Following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, the show’s organisers will not be returning to the Coromandel next year due to infrastructure issues.
Greenstone Entertainment CEO Amanda Calvert said “we love the Coromandel region”, and noted they have a 10-year agreement in place with Thames-Coromandel District Council for the Whitianga Summer Concert.
But they were unable to commit to a 2024 concert in the area as construction is due to begin on State Highway 25A’s new bridge and have come to an agreement with the council that a one-year break will “allow time for the planned new infrastructure to bed in”.
The Whitianga show will be replaced by a one-off concert at Claudelands Oval in Hamilton and will include the same show format and line-up as the two other concerts included in the nationwide tour.
Calvert said “by taking it to Hamilton we believe it will make it accessible for those in the immediate Hamilton region, as well as those travelling from the likes of Auckland and the Coromandel, along with offering a range of accommodation options to choose from.”
While a line-up is yet to be announced, Greenstone Entertainment said both North Island shows will take place on Auckland Anniversary weekend — the Taupō concert taking place on Saturday, January 27, and the Hamilton show on Sunday, January 28.
The South Island’s Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert in Queenstown will take place on Saturday, February 3 of Waitangi Weekend.
The Summer Concert’s previous shows have featured Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, Gin Wigmore, Billy Idol and Smash Mouth among many others.