Toto to perform at Mount Maunganui as part of NZ summer tour

Bay of Plenty Times·

6 Aug, 2018 07:43 AM3 mins to read

Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams of Toto performing earlier this year. Photo / Getty Images

American rock band Toto are set to perform in Tauranga as part of a new summer tour around New Zealand.

Toto — loved for hits such as Rosanna, Africa and Hold The Line — will perform at ASB Baypark in Mount Maunganui on January 9 before heading to Napier, New Plymouth and Christchurch as part of an annual summer concert series called A Summer's Day Live, which will feature major international artists from the past four decades.

Toto have released 17 studio albums and sold more than 40 million records since forming in the 1970s.

Kiwi rockers Dragon - the band behind hits such as April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough?, Rain and Still In Love With You - will be supporting Toto on the tour.

Another headliner will be announced in coming weeks.

Concert series A Summer's Day Live is promoted by Neptune entertainment, which is made up of Tauranga promoters Pato Alvarez and Mitch Lowe and Toby Burrows.

They are behind shows such as Bryan Adams and the UB40 featuring Ali Campbell New Zealand tour.

"A Summer's Day Live is about celebrating amazing music, reminiscing with friends and family and enjoying a premium outdoor event experience in a country as beautiful as New Zealand," Alvarez said.

"It's about creating a full afternoon of entertainment that flows into the night, often featuring multiple international artists from the golden era of music as well as some of New Zealand's legendary musicians," he said.

Alvarez said organisers had been working on securing this tour for about two years and he was excited to be bringing it to Tauranga.

"It is important to us to include Tauranga ... We love bringing events to our city.

"It's great to be able to help our local economy and bring some of the biggest names from around the world to Tauranga," Alvarez said.

A total of 12,000 tickets will go on sale for the Tauranga concert and Alvarez expects it to be a sellout.

Promoter Toby Burrows said Neptune Entertainment was excited to have secured such an iconic band to launch the series.

"We have been wanting to bring Toto to New Zealand for some time, and being able to place them in amazing outdoor venues in the heart of summer is the perfect fit."