Cyclone Gabrielle: Sting cancels March show at Mission Estate Winery as region continues with devastating aftermath of cyclone

The singer will make a donation to the Hawke’s Bay Foundation’s Cyclone Relief Fund.

As Hawke’s Bay and Napier grapple with the devastating aftereffects of Cyclone Gabrielle, tough calls are being made about scheduled events including upcoming concerts.

The latest tough call comes from rock musician Sting, who has decided to cancel his concert at Napier’s Mission Estate Winery.

In a statement issued this morning, a representative for the English musician said: “Out of respect to those affected by the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle and in the interest of focusing critical attention and resources on relief efforts, Sting’s concert on Saturday, March 4, at Mission Estate Winery in Napier will no longer proceed.

“A donation will be made by Sting and Live Nation to the Hawke’s Bay Foundation’s Cyclone Relief Fund.

“All ticket holders will receive an automatic refund.”

Mission Estate Winery. Photo / Supplied

Sting is one of the multiple stars who have booked concerts at the iconic winery this year.

Sir Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper are also booked to perform on Saturday, April 8, however, the Herald is yet to receive comment from the events promoters to confirm whether that show will go ahead.

Meanwhile, Sting’s Christchurch concert on Wednesday, March 1, remains unaffected and will proceed as planned.

Sting’s My Songs concert is described as a dynamic show featuring his most beloved songs, including Every Breath You Take, Message In A Bottle and Roxanne. The 17-time Grammy Award winner has had an illustrious career both with The Police and as a solo artist.

The news comes as the extent of the disaster of Cyclone Gabrielle is becoming clearer every day as more fatalities are confirmed, says Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, while the recovery and rebuild effort is going to come with some “tough calls” and a “big price tag”.

There are now 11 confirmed dead almost a week after the cyclone smashed across large swathes of the North Island, most devastatingly in the island’s east. The latest deaths were a person found in their home in the Napier suburb of Onekawa on Thursday, and a person found in Crownthorpe, near Hastings, on Saturday night, police said.