Mission Concert's Neil Diamond show has people buzzing

For Mission's Phil Hocquard (left) and SEL's Garry Craft and James Erskine (right) the headline sums it up. Photo / Paul Taylor

The immediate reactions to news that Neil Diamond will being taking the Mission Concert stage for 2018 indicated that the organisers had got it spot on.

Within an hour of SEL chairman James Erskine formally announcing Diamond's March 17 date in Napier the online postings began emerging.

"Going to be a biggie" - "need to go to this one" - "sounds like a goer" - "hell yeah!" - "saw him in Dunedin and wow!".

It was generally agreed that in the wake of the hugely successful Dixie Chicks concert this year the next act would have to be a sharp one, and the general consensus appeared to be that had been achieved.

The magnitude of what Neil Diamond and his 70-strong support crew were bringing to Napier would make the concert a memorable event, Mission chairman Phil Hocquard said, and he applauded the long hours and extensive effort SEL had put into securing Diamond's signature.

"We are absolutely delighted," he said, and added that both Mr Erskine and event director Garry Craft had gone out of their way during busy schedules to make sure they could both be here for the big announcement.

Mr Erskine had flown straight in from working in London and within a few hours of making the concert announcement was straight away again - to appointments in Melbourne.

Australia-based Mr Craft also made a whistlestop visit to Napier for it.

Mr Erskine said his first contact with the region was back in 1993 when he was involved in the staging of the first Mission Concert featuring Kiri te Kanawa, and he had become a huge fan.

"Hawke's Bay is one of my favourite places," he said, adding that while it might not be seen as the centre of the entertainment universe the vineyard venue created "something unique".

"For me, the Mission is the greatest outdoor venue in the world - they have built up something very special here."

A lot of that came down to the input and passion of locals, Mr Erskine said.

"I am always blown away by the support of the public."

That included the response from community groups and schools which were able to join in with the concert for fundraising, and he paid special tribute to the schools involved in the concert site clean-up and said he never ceased to be amazed at the great job they did "so quickly".

Mr Craft said Neil Diamond and his crew would be arriving on a private charter jet on the Friday and would fly out on the Sunday.

The whole stage setting would be brought with them, and to accommodate that a smaller "temporary" stage would be constructed over the moat in front of the main stage for the build-up acts to use.

It would then be quickly removed for the main show to begin.

Tickets will go on sale to exclusive Mission Concert Club members from 9am tomorrow with general public sales from Saturday through the Mission Concert website or Ticketek outlets.

General admission is $125, gold reserve seats $240, platinum reserve seat packages $368 and platinum seating packages $618.