Mission Estate Concert 2019 announcement may be only weeks away

Events director Garry Craft may have an announcement in a few weeks if all goes to plan. Photo / File

Since the cancellation of this year's Mission Estate Concert due to the failing health of Neil Diamond, promoter Garry Craft has been making plenty of calls to prepare the 2019 event — and an announcement may not be far away.

Craft, the events director for Sports and Entertainment (SEL), said there were "things on the go" and it now came down to waiting for confirmation.

While timing was always difficult to predict, because there were so many logistics to work through with potential artists, he was hopeful Mission Concert fans would not have too long to wait.

"In the next few weeks we may have something."

Craft said he had been talking with two acts. "And we are certainly making progress."

In terms of a concert time frame he said that came down to the schedules of the artists, and the two he had been in contact with had potential dates in two different months.

There had been some speculation a concert may have been lined up for late spring or early summer at the end of this year but that was not on the cards at this stage.

Craft said with Hawke's Bay's usually reliable summer and autumn climate they had been able to open up the time-lines to fit artists they worked in with.

He said SEL was very aware people liked to have a concert date set in their diaries as soon as possible, so they could make plans.

He had heard of at least two prospective weddings families wanted to stage in Hawke's Bay — with the brides hoping they would coincide with concert weekend.

This year's loss of the eagerly awaited Neil Diamond concert was only the second time the Mission event had been forced to put out the "cancelled" signs for a planned show.

Heavy rain saw the 2009 Lionel Richie concert called off.