Six60 trial run could transform Hastings' showgrounds into an international concert venue

Hastings from the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds looking towards Mt Erin (centre) in the east. Photo / File

Six60 playing at Showgrounds Hawke's Bay Tomoana in January could be a test run for creating a major venue for international artists to perform in Hastings.

Promoters and Hastings' mayor say the gig on January 23, with guests Shapeshifter, Kings, Maimoa and Nouri, could draw as many as 30,000 people to the venue on the city's northern fringe.

SIX60 will be playing at the Tomoana Showgrounds, Hastings in 2021. Photo / Supplied

Hastings District Council mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said she was "ecstatic" the band was playing at the showgrounds in January.

"I have been working closely with promoters and the band on the opportunity of having a large outdoor music concert headlining Six60 at the showgrounds," Hazlehurst said.

"We are expecting the event will attract up to 30,000 people which is a fantastic opportunity for our district.

"It will bring significant investment into our district and employment opportunities for our people.

"We are expecting it to contribute approximately just over $5 million to our local economy as well as a large number of jobs, which will be of enormous benefit to our business community.

"This event will also be an exciting opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate. It will be a chance to reinvigorate our music and performing arts sector and showcase local acts and lift our local talents."

She said the gig will also have "long-term" benefits for the showgrounds.

"It will have long term benefits of positioning Showgrounds Hawke's Bay Tomoana as an outdoor music venue and this will lead it to becoming a New Zealand attraction for future domestic and international acts," she said.

"This event will support our hospitality, accommodation providers, retailers and tourism sectors. As a council, we are right behind bringing this concert to Hastings.

"Some of the Six60 band members have strong whānau connections to Waipatu and Hastings so it's fantastic to have them come here."

Promoter Francis de Jager, Black Barn Vineyards' manager cellar door and events, said the amphitheatre at the vineyards had showcased many of NZ's best musicians and artists for the past 20 years, but holding the gig at the showgrounds meant larger crowds could be catered for.

"During this time we've created intimate, memorable experiences for our guests and have built great trust with our event partners," he said.

"Naturally, opportunities have come about to showcase larger national and international acts, drawing thousands from New Zealand wide.

"The showgrounds being central and with many options seemed like the perfect venue for these larger shows."

Hastings District Council mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says SIX60 playing in Hastings will be good for the economy in more ways than one. Photo / Paul Taylor

He said the site lent itself to events catering to 3000 to more than 20,000.

"This is our first concert at the showgrounds," de Jager said.

"With our knowledge built from events with Bryan Adams and UB40, we believed we needed a bigger and more central venue than was previously available to us.

"Working with A&P Society and Hastings District Council, the showgrounds quickly became an ideal venue having plenty of space, mature tree-scape and various options.

"With any event the crowd is our biggest challenge but with our event experience and many hours of planning we're working on every aspect of the crowd's expectation from the moment tickets are purchased to the time they get home after the event."

Family areas, zero waste, food and beverage and traffic management form some of the most important areas which would be focused on, he said.

He said Black Barn's previous connection to the band helped secure the 2021 gig.

"With Six60 playing two sold out shows at Black Barn in the summer of 2018, the connection was already there,"he said.

"They loved their time at the Amphitheatre and in Hawke's Bay and were keen to return.

"We couldn't have secured the event though, without some amazing help from the mayor, and the showgrounds/A&P Society. It was a real team effort and they pulled out all the stops to help ensure we landed this significant event in Hawke's Bay.

"For Hastings this means amazing opportunities for the community and wider Hawke's Bay into the future."