Lorde and Sting are the latest artists to postpone gigs in New Zealand amidst the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The cyclone has caused widespread flooding in the country’s northern island, leaving 11 dead, displacing 10000 people and leaving thousands more uncontactable. New Zealand’s finance minister has predicted that cyclone Gabrielle will be “the biggest weather event this century, with a billion-dollar price tag”.
Amidst the devastation, Auckland-born singer Lorde has decided to postpone her March 1st performance at Black Barn Vineyards. She emphasised that this “is a postponement NOT a cancellation”, hinting that she is “working on something” and fans will hear from her soon.
Lorde had previously made changes to the venues of her Wellington gigs. Two February performances were moved from Days Bay in the Hutt Valley to the TBS arena, an indoor venue on Wellington’s waterfront.
Sting has also opted to cancel his scheduled performance at The Mission Estate Winery. A Facebook post initially claimed the performance was going ahead, however organisers were told to “read the room” following criticism. Chief executive Peter Holley claimed he had not read the post due to power issues and that it was unlikely it would go ahead.
The March 4th show was eventually cancelled “out of respect to those affected by the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle and in the interest of focusing critical attention and resources on relief efforts”. A donation to Hawke’s Bay Foundation’s Cyclone Relief Fund will be made by Sting and Live nation.
Lorde and Sting are the latest artists to cancel or postpone their New Zealand shows, previous cancellations including Elton John and Fatboy Slim. Numerous festivals have also been cancelled including Laneway Festival, which was set to feature acts including Phoebe Bridgers, Fred Again and Joji.
