Drone footage of flooding on Swamp Rd and the surrounding area in Puketapu, Hawke's Bay, on the Tuesday morning after Cyclone Gabrielle. Video / Matt Wheatley
Six60’s Hawke’s Bay show at Shed 530 has been postponed to October 25.
The venue, affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, is undergoing upgrades to ensure the best concert experience possible.
Organisers had also been waiting on council approval for the closure of Puketapu Rd.
A Six60 concert postponed in Hawke’s Bay over venue issues had also been reliant on local government approval of a late application for an essential road closure.
On Wednesday, the band announced that their show at Shed 530 Estate Winery on Puketapu Rd would be pushed back by eight months, from February 8 to October 25.
Shed 530 Estate Winery spokesman Hamish Gordon, Six60 publicist Heidi Ettema and Hastings District Council (HDC) say the postponement is largely due to the need for upgrades to the cyclone-stricken concert site.
Organisers had also been waiting on a late-filed request to close Puketapu Rd around the winery for the event.
Although it was filed outside HDC guidelines, the council says the application had been on track for approval.
When asked by Hawke’s Bay Today if the pending road closure was one of the reasons for the postponement, Gordon said that was down to “several factors”.
Tickets for the concert are still on sale. Those who bought tickets will have them rolled over to the new date or refunded.
HDC’s process for temporary road closures requires that they be received at least two months before an event.
There is no guarantee the road closure will be approved, as it must go before an elected council committee rather than council staff. Late applications cannot be fast-tracked, HDC’s website notes.
A council spokesperson told Hawke’s Bay Today a request for a closure of Puketapu Rd from 9pm to 10.30pm on the night of the show was received on December 16.
With the concert scheduled for February 8, this meant the application had missed the council’s deadline by eight days.
The spokesperson said all consent applications for the concert were “on track to be approved prior to the postponement announcement”.
“Unfortunately the venue needed more time to complete their preferred venue upgrades.
“We support their postponement decision and will continue to work with them for this new concert date.”
Some of the devastation left behind by Cyclone Gabrielle at Shed 530 Estate Winery in Hawke's Bay.
‘Rebuilding after the cyclone hasn’t been easy’
The concert was set to be the first at Shed 530 Estate, a winery that reopened in December 2022, two months before Cyclone Gabrielle ripped through it.
“Rebuilding after the cyclone hasn’t been easy,” Gordon said.
“The storm left our vineyard buried in half a metre of silt and destroyed our original shed and cherished chardonnay vines.”
Shed 530 Estate Winery's vineyards after Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
Silt piles remain near the property, but Gordon expects them to be gone in the next six weeks.
“While it’s not ideal, it reflects the immense effort of our community to rebuild after Cyclone Gabrielle.
“This isn’t a story of setbacks – it’s about people coming together to create something meaningful for everyone.”
The venue will be able to host up to 10,000 people and is hoping to host several concerts a year.
Gordon said the Six60 concert would be about more than just the music: it would be a celebration for the community after the challenges of the past two years.
“Shed 530 has come a long way since Cyclone Gabrielle and we’re deeply proud of the progress we’ve made.
“We’ve poured our hearts into creating a venue that reflects the resilience and spirit of Hawke’s Bay.
“It’s important for everyone that this show is a great one.”
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.
