Taupō, brace yourselves for another big weekend

Waitangi Weekend is set to be a rocking and rolling one for the Events Capital with the Taupō Summer Concert featuring the incredible double international line-up of The Doobie Brothers and Little River Band playing live at the Taupō Amphitheatre on Saturday as well as the Kinloch Triathlon on Sunday.

Concert organisers are asking Taupō locals to “be prepared” as concert goers from all over the North Island will converge on Taupō for the double-act this Waitangi Weekend. More than 10,000 people will pack the Taupō Amphitheatre in Taupō’s picturesque Riverside Park on Saturday afternoon, with the expectation of more to come.

The Kinloch Triathlon will also experience record attendance this year with over a thousand entries already. The Kinloch Triathlon is round five of the Contact Tri-Series and will turn the sleepy lakeside village into a hive of energy and excitement on Sunday 5 February. One of the biggest festivals of triathlon in New Zealand, the Kinloch race also doubles as the Oceania Sprint Distance Championships and National Sprint Distance Championships. The high profile field includes previous Ironman New Zealand winners Cameron Brown and Jo Lawn and, 2007 and 2010 Ironman World Champion, Chris McCormack from Australia.

District Events Manager, Nick Reader, says Taupō is ready for the influx of visitors. “We know Taupō is well equipped to handle big events, such as Ironman, Cycle Challenge and many other big name concerts held here over the years. That said, locals can expect the roads leading into Taupō to be quite busy on Waitangi Weekend and should plan for this.”

Mr Reader says drivers should try to avoid the Redoubt Street area on Saturday afternoon unless absolutely necessary and advises any locals coming to the concert to leave their cars at home. “Walking, taking a taxi or getting someone to drop you off will alleviate some of the congestion we may experience in town. Better yet, you won’t have to worry about driving home afterwards if you plan to drink.”

Taupō Summer Concert organisers are happy with how things are shaping up so far with tickets sales exceeding expectations. “We’re expecting a further 2-3,000 tickets will be purchased before the event, but already 10,000 is a great start,” says Concert Promoter Amanda Calvert.

Amanda says Taupō is the ideal place for a concert of this magnitude. “Taupō has a proven track record of hosting large scale events like this, with great hospitality and plenty of accommodation available.” She hopes the event will be the first of an annual series. “We’d love to make this a regular feature for Taupō and we are already thinking about other big name bands for next year.”

American rock legends The Doobie Brothers have sold more than 40 million records in a career spanning five decades. The band has enjoyed much radio airplay with hits such as ‘Listen to the Music’, ‘Long Train Runnin’, China Grove’ and ‘Jesus is Just Alright’. The line-up visiting Taupō features many of the band’s original members including Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and John McFee.

Similarly, Australian rockers Little River Band have received huge chart success throughout the past three decades, with classics including ‘Cool Change’, ‘The Other Guy’ and ‘Take it Easy on Me’.

Tickets to the concert are $89 and are still available from Ticketek, visit www.ticketek.co.nz. Taupō residents can buy tickets from Taupō i-Site for only $79. Children under 11 years of age are admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticket holder. Corporate packages and seating options are also available until 30 January, contact hayden@tauposc.co.nz to make an enquiry.

Gates will open at 12noon with live music starting at 12.15pm. New Zealand artist Annah Mac will open followed by the Little River Band and finally The Doobie Brothers. The concert is expected to finish around 6.30pm. A wide range of quality food, beer and wine will be on sale at the event. Concert-goers are also able to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages.