Singer Annie Crummer and Francis Kora (left) performed at the Rotorua Lakeside Concert in 2015. Photo / Ben Fraser
Singer Annie Crummer remembers hanging upside down by her seatbelt after her Cessna plane crashed and rolled on takeoff in Gisborne.
It was 1997 and she had been at a charity concert with Billy T. James, Dave Dobbyn, Sir Howard Morrison and the Finn brothers.
“What went through my mind when the plane was rolling was, did I do a good last show?”
That was the same year the Rotorua Lakeside Concert started.
Crummer said when she steps on to the Lakeside stage this Saturday, her goal will be the same as always: to serve “the people” through performance.
“Rotorua and I have been friends for a long time … these are always landmark gigs, but it’s a privilege to serve the iwi.
“When I saw the setlist I said, this is a handsome show.”
This year’s concert theme is Funkyside – Gettin’ in the Groove, and organisers expect thousands of music lovers at the Village Green for the free outdoor show.
Artists will perform a diverse range of hits made famous by artists ranging from Stevie Wonder and Otis Reading to L.A.B and Pharrell, with a fireworks finale.
MetService is forecasting partially cloudy weather with a high of 22C, a low of 10 and northerlies developing.
Bay of Plenty entertainer Russell Harrison will also return to the Lakeside stage this year.
“[Lakeside] has become a generational staple for a lot of families in Rotorua – they turn up as young parents and they bring their babies, now their babies are adults,” he said.
“When you travel, every place has its nuance, and point of difference. This event really identifies the power of the Rotorua community.”
“Outside of tourism, people don’t really get to know the city unless you come to an event like this,” he said.
He said the event’s artist curator, Dixon Nacey, had “a real gift” for allocating tracks to artists, particularly cover songs.
He said this year’s funk theme had the artists amped. He would cover Luther Vandross and James Brown.
He said the event’s history made performing special for him.
“Lakeside has ushered in the careers of some really strong performers [from the Bay of Plenty] that have gone on to do other things.”
Last year was singer, songwriter and musical actress Lavinia Williams’ first Lakeside performance, which she said was “emotional”.
Delivering a Tina Turner medley nearly one year after the icon died, Williams recalled opening for her on the Auckland leg of Turner’s 1996 Wildest Dreams Tour.
“I mean, come on, how are you going to top Tina Turner?”
Williams said for her second Lakeside outing, she was looking forward to the duet with her husband, Moses Lehauli, who would join her on stage for the first time.
For her, performing in Rotorua meant “whānau”. Auckland could be “overwhelming” but coming to Rotorua felt calm.
“People are so delightful to be around … how I feel walking into my family’s house, that’s like walking into Rotorua,” she said.
R’n’B performer Vince Harder said Rotorua was a special place to visit and he looked forward to bringing his whānau on Saturday.
The concert’s 2025 charity collaboration with Dementia Lakes – a service supporting people living with the disease – resonated with the singer.
“I love that kaupapa because my mum was in hospital for nine weeks last year, she has dementia,” Harder said.
“I always made it a mission to thank the staff and the people who looked after her because it’s not an easy thing to see loved ones go through that.”
This year would be former Rotorua Boys' High School student Baedyn Kiore’s first Lakeside performance.
The 18-year-old singer-songwriter would perform solo, covering works by Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool & the Gang.
He was refreshed after performing at Te Matatini in Taranaki with Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, and said his group was proud to “come away with a few trophies”.
“That was a very long and hard-working campaign but we ended up coming top 10.
“It’s exciting man, I’m pumped to perform in front of the whole rohe on Saturday,” he said.
Te Arawa conquered the biannual national kapa haka festival this month, sending six teams and winning first, second and two other finalist spots.
On Sunday the six teams will perform on the Lakeside stage for the Te Arawa Kapa Haka Celebration.
Kiore would perform twice – first Whetūrangihia with Te Whare Tapere o Te Arawa then with Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao.
What: Funkyside-themed musical performances, fireworks
When: Saturday, 7pm-10pm
Where: Village Green, Rotorua
Cost: Free
What: See Te Arawa’s six Te Matatini teams perform live
When: Sunday, 9.45am-4pm
Where: Village Green, Rotorua
Cost: Free
Aleyna Martinez is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. She moved to the region in 2024 and has previously reported in Wairarapa and at Pacific Media Network.