Layla Lacey and Maddison MacFarlane weren't the only ones to skip a bit of school yesterday.
The 11-year-olds were among 200 youngsters who sang, danced and clapped their way through Stan Walker's dress rehearsal at the Rotorua Civic Theatre.
They were at the front of the queue, having arrived at 2.15pm, well ahead of doors opening at 4.30pm for the dress rehearsal for tonight's show. The concert also features X Factor New Zealand finalist Whenua Patuwai.
"We're big fans of Stan Walker and we love Whenua. We love their music," Maddison said.
Layla said they left school early so they could guarantee a good spot.