The water was deemed contaminated, meaning most items it came into contact with had to be disinfected, replaced or thrown out.<\/p>\n
It was enough damage to leave many people wondering whether Shambles would reopen, Edwards said. <\/p>\n
He estimated the rebuild cost at \u201cwell over\u201d $150,000. Insurance covered most of it.<\/p>\n
Edwards said the theatre received strong community support. A Givealittle campaign raised about $1200 and a further $2000 was donated privately. This allowed the team to make improvements. <\/p>\n
The foyer, bar and kitchen were fully refurbished and redesigned, with extensive repainting carried out and the bar and kitchen reconfigured.<\/p>\n
Edwards said members and supporters also helped with the clean-up once builders had finished.<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s concert will give the community its first chance to see the restored theatre, minus a few pictures still waiting to be rehung. It has been made free with Rotorua District Council Creative Communities Fund support.<\/p>\n
Composer and guitarist Dave Flynn formed Flynn\u2019s Celtic Strings and the trio has toured throughout New Zealand, including sold-out performances with the New Zealand String Quartet at the 2025 W\u0101naka Festival of Colour and collaborations with Dunedin musician Robert Scott.<\/p>\n
The trio brings together Wellington-based fiddle player and vocalist Em Griffiths and Kawerau mandolin player and vocalist Lee Corbett Barton. Flynn met them through years of touring and Celtic music circles around the country.<\/p>\n
The Shambles Theatre was flooded by a burst water main last November. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Flynn has never performed in Rotorua, and the Valentine\u2019s Day show will be the group\u2019s third concert as a trio.<\/p>\n
The trio\u2019s music draws on centuries of Celtic tradition, with a strong focus on variety and feeling rather than a single sound. There was music for \u201cdancing\u201d, music for \u201cmourning\u201d, and music for \u201clulling people to sleep\u201d, Flynn said.<\/p>\n
Those influences shape the concert\u2019s flow, moving between lively, foot-stomping tunes and slower, more reflective pieces, alongside songs featuring vocal harmonies from all three performers.<\/p>\n
Audience participation is encouraged, with some songs designed to be easily sung along to, creating moments of shared experience between performers and the crowd, moments Flynn described as \u201cpretty magical\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said Celtic music often resonated with New Zealand audiences, particularly those with Irish or British heritage, but also connected strongly with people encountering it for the first time.<\/p>\n