From Scotland to Waipara: The music promoter betting big on rural Canterbury

Waipara Winehouse has undergone extensive refurbishment since Stuart and Judith Clumpas took ownership in 2023.

When Scottish music promoter Stuart Clumpas first visited Waipara Winehouse three years ago, he immediately saw an opportunity.

The vineyards. The wide North Canterbury skies. The proximity to Christchurch, while still feeling unmistakably rural.

“I looked at it and thought: this could really work,” he says.

Now, just a few years later, Stuart Clumpas with wife and business partner Judith, aims to transform Waipara Winehouse into one of the South Island’s most exciting rural event destinations, attracting international acts including Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and John Butler.

For Clumpas, however, the vision stretches far beyond one-off concerts.

After more than four decades in the global music industry, he believes rural New Zealand deserves world-class experiences too.

“People often think major experiences only belong in Auckland or the big cities,” he says.

“But rural New Zealand deserves these experiences as well.”

Originally from Scotland, the Clumpas’s have both spent over 40 years each in music and events;  stuart booking his first gig in his twenties before going on to run clubs, then festivals and major venues with Judith throughout the UK and New Zealand.

Their career has included involvement with Rhythm and Vines, Spark Arena and large-scale festivals in Scotland, where they founded the famous T in the Park festival.

Along the way they worked with countless artists, including Crowded House during the band’s early years in the UK.

   An aerial view of Waipara Winehouse during a major outdoor concert. Owner Stuart Clumpas believes the venue is helping establish North Canterbury as a destination for world-class live music.

“One of the memorable moments was working with Crowded House in Scotland in the 1980s,” Clumpas says.

“I’ve known Neil Finn and Tim Finn for years and there are some incredible stories there.”

But it was an entirely different stage of life that eventually led him to Waipara.

A business partner sent him the sale listing for Waipara Winehouse during the COVID lockdown, even though Clumpas was considering stepping away from the event space and into semi-retirement.

Clumpas, who spends half the year residing in Auckland and the other in Scotland, was intrigued and eventually went to check it out for himself.

“I went down to have a look and just thought: wow, this place has something special.”

Clumpas says Canterbury itself also played a major role in the decision.

Before the earthquakes, Christchurch had never particularly resonated with him.

But returning after several years away, he saw a city transformed.

“It feels like Christchurch and Canterbury are on a real resurgence,” he says.

“It feels like a place that’s alive again, and being part of helping push that forward feels really good.”

The couple officially took over the business in 2023, before embarking on an extensive refurbishment and relaunch last year.

International singer-songwriter Jack Johnson is among the headline acts helping put Waipara Winehouse on the map as a concert destination. Photo: Supplied.

While concerts are now becoming a major part of the venue’s identity, Clumpas says the original vision was always broader than simply hosting music events.

“We wanted to create a destination,” he says.

Part of that vision has involved repositioning the Winehouse as a regional cellar door hub, showcasing wines from across the Waipara region rather than focusing on a single label, an idea that came from the resident winemaker, Simon McGeorge.

“We wanted to create a regional cellar door experience where people could taste wines from across Waipara in one place, but also provide a cellar door for some of the smaller boutique winemakers who didn’t have the resources to do their own” he says.

The Winehouse currently stocks wines from producers including Georges Road, Pyramid Valley, Mount Brown, Tiki Wines, Harris Estate, House of Ball, Forager, McGeorge Wine Co and The Crater Rim among others.

Rather than competing with neighbouring wineries, Clumpas says the aim is collaboration.

“A lot of visitors are interested in wine, but they might not be an enthusiast who  wants to drive to four or five separate cellar doors,” he says.

“We can introduce them to the region, let them taste a range of wines, and offer a cellar doors experience for our boutique Winemakers.”

While the Waipara Winehouse is not a restaurant, it does offer a light tapas-style menu alongside local wines, craft beer and spirits.

Clumpas describes the concept as creating “a front door for the region”.

The Winehouse has also started hosting boutique winemaker afternoons, where visitors can sit down directly with local producers.

“If somebody discovers a wine they love, we’re more than happy to send them down the road to visit that winery as well.”

While the wine side of the business continues to evolve, it is the large-scale concerts that have rapidly put the venue on the map.

One of the defining moments came with Canadian folk-bluegrass band The Dead South.

“That was the moment that confirmed Waipara Winehouse could genuinely work again as a major event venue,” Clumpas says.

The concert sold strongly, outperforming all the other Australasian shows on the band’s tour schedule, while the atmosphere convinced Clumpas the venue had genuine long-term potential.

“The band loved the venue, the crowd loved the experience, and people left saying: ‘That was fantastic. We’ll be back.’”

Securing Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and John Butler in November was another major milestone.

Clumpas admits convincing promoters and managers to look seriously at rural North Canterbury takes continued persistence.

“I kept saying: this is exactly the right environment for this show.”

The vineyard setting ultimately proved part of the appeal, and the decision paid off, with tickets rapidly selling out.

“South Island ticket sales outperformed Auckland again, which is particularly satisfying,” Clumpas says.

The events are also having a flow-on effect throughout the wider region, drawing visitors into local accommodation, wineries, restaurants and businesses.

“The council and mayor have been incredibly supportive from the beginning,” he says.

“They understood early on what these events mean for the area.”

While some locals were initially sceptical about an Auckland-based promoter arriving in Waipara with big ambitions, Clumpas says support has grown rapidly.

“At first there was definitely a healthy dose of South Island scepticism,” he laughs.

“But once people visit the refurbished Winehouse, or come to Events, attitudes shift very quickly.”

Looking ahead, the vision for Waipara Winehouse continues to expand.

Future plans include additional concerts, more diverse events and potentially architecturally-designed accommodation onsite.

An upcoming performance by rising American country-folk artist Dylan Gossett in a mini festival type event, Wine Country, in December is also helping shape a bigger vision for the venue, with Clumpas hoping to establish it as an annual event in North Canterbury.

“We’d like it to become the North Canterbury Christmas party,” he says.

“A proper rural summer event where people come together and have a really good time.”

The concept would feature multiple acts, good food, wine and a relaxed vineyard atmosphere, with plans to build it gradually over time.

For Clumpas, however, the project has never simply been about ticket sales.

“It’s definitely about more than money,” he says, “Always has been for me.”

“When local people come up and say they’re excited about what we’re doing, that means a lot.”

After 45 years in the industry, it is a sentiment that perhaps explains why a veteran international promoter has chosen rural North Canterbury for his next chapter.

“We want to build something that’s still here for years to come,” he says.

“Something that pushes the quality and experience forward in a really positive way.”