The Government has committed to building a bridge to replace State Highway 25A after it was severely damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary flooding. Video / NZ Herald
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 this morning that their popular music festival, the Summer Concert tour – which includes annual shows in Taupō andGibbston, will be returning in 2024 however they are leaving one major location off the list.
Following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, the show’s organisers have revealed they will not be returning to the Coromandel next year due to infrastructure issues.
In a statement issued to the Herald, 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.
Neil Giraldo and Pat Benatar were the headline act at this year's concert tour.
Despite this, 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.”
Replacing the Whitianga show will be the 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.
The Summer Concert returns in 2024 but will replace the Coromandel show with one in Hamilton. Photo / Supplied
Calvert said of the decision to take the show to Hamilton, “We have given a wealth of consideration to where to hold the second of our 2024 shows and 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 lineup is yet to be announced, Greenstone Entertainment has allowed concert-goers to plan their trip early announcing that both North Island shows will take place on Auckland Anniversary weekend.
The Taupō Summer Concert taking place on Saturday, January 27, and the Hamilton show will take place on Sunday, January 28.
As for the South Island concert punters, the highly anticipated Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert in Queenstown also falls on a long weekend taking place on Waitangi weekend, Saturday, February 3.
The Summer Concert tour has become an iconic part of the New Zealand summer festival season with previous shows seeing Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, Gin Wigmore, Billy Idol and Smash Mouth among many others perform on Kiwi soil for an unforgettable live outdoor music show.
