The band, featuring original members Ali Campbell, Astro (Terrence Wilson) and Mickey Virtue, touched down at Queenstown Airport on Tuesday - a year after their last Queenstown gig was cancelled because of torrential rain.
''We were really embarrassed last time,'' Campbell said.
''We were so happy when we got to Queenstown because we'd heard so much about it. Then this was the only gig on the Red Red Winery tour we didn't get to do.''
Organisers cancelled the Gibbston gig after torrential rain and wind caused water to pool on the stage but the band promised to return.
''Trust me, no-one was more bitterly disappointed than us. We travelled this far and wanted to play,'' Astro said.
''We had a couple of days doing all the touristy things without managing to play to the public, which was the whole purpose of us coming.''
Campbell said bands did not come 7000 miles not to play.
''So we're chuffed that we're back and hope the weather holds out,'' Campbell said.
The band's gig will be held at the Waitiri Creek winery, Gibbston, today. Tickets will be available at the gate, which opens at 4pm.
New Zealand's Boh Runga is on stage first from 5.35pm and UB40 will play from 8pm.
UB40 sold more than 70 million albums worldwide over 30 years before breaking up and reforming as two separate bands.
Frontman Campbell's UB40 will play to about 20,000 in New Zealand this time around, before gigs in Australia and Hawaii.
Astro said fans at Waitiri Creek winery in Gibbston could expect to hear all the old hits such as Red, Red Wine, Cherry Oh Baby, Kingston Town and (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You.
''We'll cram in as many as we can into a two-hour show, plus some personal favourites and songs from the new album
Silhouette.
Campbell said the band was lucky because of its 40 top 20 hits in the 1980s and '90s.
''We can rock up and people know what we're playing. And we're not self-indulgent - we know people want to hear the hits. We never get tired of them. We covered those tracks originally because we loved them, and we still love them.''
