Rod Stewart is holding steadfast to plans to perform in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, following a devastating cyclone that hit the area last month.
Cyclone Gabrielle battered the region mid-February and has since been described as the most severe weather event in years.
Stuff reports the legendary rocker remains committed to his original April 8 concert date, despite ongoing recovery efforts.
Live Nation emailed a statement to the outlet, which said, “Our teams continue to monitor the massive clean-up and rebuild effort underway in the region, and we are liaising with local authorities and the police.”
“Our confident expectation is that the Rod Stewart concert at Mission Estate Winery on April 8 will go ahead as scheduled,” the statement continued.
Mission State CEO Peter Holley previously told the outlet, “There’s absolutely no intention to cancel at this point in time.” There are also measures in place to ensure the performance doesn’t utilize any resources needed for recovery efforts.
Holley noted that the region could probably use a pick-me-up and predicted “we’ll really be in for a good day” when the rocker arrives.
That said, should Stewart honor his concert date, it’ll mark the area’s first major performance since Cyclone Gabrielle, which forced several artists to call off their shows. Sting was just one performer who was forced to cancel his concert, which had been set for March 4.
Rod will also perform in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 9 at Spark Arena. A portion of the concert’s proceeds will be directed to the Red Cross NZ Disaster Relief Fund.
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