New Zealand Loses Up to Half of 70 Music Festivals as Costs and Giants Squeeze Scene
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 13
New Zealand Loses Up to Half of 70 Music Festivals as Costs and Giants Squeeze Scene
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 13
Summary
Up to half of the roughly 70 music festivals staged in New Zealand in summer 2023-2024 were cancelled, shut down or postponed, according to music magazine Newzician.
Splore’s closure after its February 2026 finale shows the pressure: the festival lost about NZ$320,000 in 2024, then saw little demand when 2026 tickets went on sale at NZ$385 with camping.
Promoters and artists say tougher household economics, weaker funding and a crowded market are hitting independent events, cutting a key pathway for local acts to build audiences.
International operators are expanding at the same time: Laneway drew a record 35,000-plus people in Auckland in 2026, helped by trans-Tasman scale and buying power smaller festivals cannot match.
The shakeout has fueled criticism of New Zealand’s NZ$10 million Event Boost Fund, with some local organizers arguing support has not reached the mid-sized festivals now disappearing.