Mission Estate winery concert canned

The Mission Estate Concert Neil Diamond pulled out of has been cancelled.

Diamond last month axed two New Zealand shows and retired from touring after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

Diamond, 76, had been due to perform in Christchurch on March 15 and the Mission show in Napier on March 17 as part of his 50th Anniversary tour.

The Mission show promoters conducted an exhaustive search for an A-list replacement for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member, but conceded defeat this morning.

Event director Garry Craft said he had searched the world over to find a suitable replacement and the decision to cancel was not taken lightly.

"Nobody wanted this event cancelled," Craft said.

"It's a no-win situation. We were sold out and had put major investment into infrastructure for the concert, and concertgoers hadn't just bought tickets, they'd also made travel and accommodation plans."

Craft said it was important to find an artist of equal star status but it proved impossible at such short notice.

"The dates simply didn't work for any of the artists we thought would work in our unique environment and we have decided that continuing on with the concert was simply untenable."

A full refund would be issued to each customer.