Green light for Gardens arts festival

If Tami Neilson appears to be floating on air at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival on Saturday night, it’s likely due to the huge sigh of relief from festival organisers buoying them up.

The rockabilly star and her band will take to the stage on the Rhododendron Lawn as scheduled at 6pm – an event that would not have been possible if Covid alert levels had stayed where they were.

The announcement by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at 4.30pm yesterday was met with delight by the small team of festival organisers, who had been faced with the grim prospect of cancelling the entire first weekend of events had the level 2 status been continued.

‘‘It’s full steam ahead,’’ said festival general manager Geoff Turkington soon after the level change announcement.

‘‘Now we just have to sell the tickets and get the people to come – and they have so many great reasons to come. The weather forecast is just stunning and everyone will be able to come to the gardens and experience all these great concerts and shows and celebrate as one.’’

As well as the headline Tami Neilson show on Saturday, there are numerous other festival events that will likely attract good numbers over the weekend.

These included a multicultural music event on Sunday afternoon titled This Is Kiwi, and concerts by the Harmonic Resonators, Jackie Bristow, and the Rodger Fox Big Band with Michael Houston.

Turkington said they would be closely monitoring further Government announcements, and ‘‘implementing every trick in the book’’ to ensure audiences were kept safe.

Hamilton City Council’s general manager of venues, tourism, and major events group, Sean Murray echoed Turkington’s jubilant talk.

‘‘It’s all good news. Hamilton has a heavy schedule of events and activities starting from this weekend, and the hotels and motels will be filling up.

‘‘As long as the levels stay where they are or continue to drop, we will be fully back in business.’’

In addition to the garden arts festival, there are numerous other concerts and big events happening soon, including the Six60 concert at the Claudelands Showgrounds on February 27, at which a crowd of about 25,000 people was expected.

This will be quickly followed by the Crowded House concert at Claudelands Arena on March 4.