Sir Paul McCartney talks to Mike Hosking about hongi and Kiwi crowds.
Sir Paul McCartney is set to give his New Zealand fans a taste of Christmas when he performs at Mt Smart Stadium tonight.
Away from the stage the music star has unleashed a range of stocking fillers complete with retro Xmas-themed jerseys and festive season cards and tea towels.
SirPaul McCartney jetted into New Zealand on Wednesday ahead of the Mt Smart gig, and has been relaxing in Hawkes Bay.
And now Kiwi admirers of the Beatles legend can wear their hearts on their sleeves this festive season with the jumpers, in blue or red and costing $93, and fill their stockings with a selection of McCartney-themed gifts.
The Christmas range on an online store offering official Sir Paul McCartney merchandise includes a Flowers in the Dirt wooden key ring ($17), handy for the car when day tripping or heading off on long and winding roads.
And a Christmas-themed tea towel ($17) you could use cleaning up on a hard day's night preparing festive fare.
Also set to wing their way off the shelves Christmas cards ($15.70) which feature Sir Paul wearing a Santa hat.
Other items listed on the online store include a range of Sir Paul and Wings-dedicated mens and womens T-shirts ($52), song collections, mugs, posters, and lithographs featuring the singer-songwriter on and off stage.
Sir Paul posted a video to Facebook upon his arrival to say hello to his Kiwi fans, along with the caption: "Finally in NZ".
Fans can pick up a Paul McCartney and Wings-themed jumper for Christmas
"Ok, so I finally got to New Zealand - wow, it's been a little while, it's beautiful," he said.
"Looking forward to the gig on Saturday night in Auckland, hope to see you there. Come on, let's rock!"
Sir Paul won over Australian audiences with his long set. The show was described as "epic" and "a musical experience like few others" by media.
The gig lasts for almost three hours and on average Sir Paul and his band perform 39 songs a show. Almost 70 per cent of the tracks he will perform tonight will be songs made famous by the Beatles.
Paul McCartney themed Christmas card.
The Sydney Morning Herald awarded Monday night's show 4.5 stars.
Sir Paul was listed earlier this month at No 13 on Forbes' highest paid musicians of 2017.
The magazine reported he had earned $77.2 million this year.
Sean Combs - also known as Diddy, Puffy or Brother Love - topped the last with a staggering $185.
Second spot went to Beyonce who Forbes reported earned $150m.
