Save the date!
Rotorua's Lakeside concert celebrates its 25th birthday next year on March 19 and it's promising to be an extravaganza.
Rotorua Lakeside Charitable Trust chairman Ian Edward said unfortunately the date had to be pushed out a little later than previous events, normally held in late January or February, due to some unavoidable clashes.
He said national kapa haka event Te Matatini was being held in Auckland in late February and many of the services, equipment and production team that had historically been involved in Lakeside would be booked.
He said there was also a large Australian and New Zealand police games event being held in the first two weeks of March, meaning it wouldn't be a good time for Rotorua.
Although initially concerned about fading summer weather, Edward said experts had assured him conditions next year would mirror the settled weather we were experiencing now.
Lakeside 2022 will be the 25th anniversary of the iconic free outdoor concert in Rotorua which brings together a mix of international, national and local talent before an audience of thousands.
Each concert ends with a fireworks display and traditionally the event has attracted out-of-town visitors who describe the event as one of the most special on the New Zealand concert calendar.
"We will be in our 25th year and as such we wish to make it a spectacular milestone event. We will be calling on some of the best from earlier years and looking to create some new elements."
This year would have been the 25th concert but a decision was made to postpone the birthday celebration as a result of pressure on sponsors caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Edward said given a year had been skipped, the expectations next year would be even higher.
"The fact we are coming out of a Covid year means we want to make it an expose of extraordinary Rotorua personalities and performers. So save the date, you will not want to miss it."
The trust will soon call for expressions of interest for an artistic director who will be charged with designing the show and choosing the artists, although the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is already in the line-up.
"We are looking for exciting things that are worthy of the 25th spectacular."
Meanwhile, Edward said it was hoped the concert's relative good luck when it came to weather over the previous 24 years continued next year.
He said the very first concert in 1997 was in heavy rain.
"It was held under a sea of umbrellas. Sir Howard said to me 'watch, it will stop raining when I come on', and it bloody well did."
There has been the odd drizzly patch at other events but the only show that had to be moved given a heavy rain warning was in 2017 when it was held in the Energy Events Centre.