Source: Radio New Zealand
Splore music and arts festival organisers have announced that next year’s will be the last due to lower than hoped for ticket sales.
Splore curator John Minty said after 18 years of financial viability the festival first hit headwinds with Covid postponements and cancellations. Then the cost of living crisis led to low ticket sales for the 2024 event.
“We took a rest last summer hoping things would pick up for the 2026 event but so far that hasn’t happened to the degree that we wanted,” Minty said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
The festival organisers had been hoping for some support from the government’s $70 million Event Boost Fund but that had not been forthcoming, he said.
“I have been involved with Splore at Tāpapakanga for 20 years and I feel now is a time to move on,” Minty said.
“I am incredibly proud of all that the festival has achieved and the devoted crew and Splorers who have created such magic and community over that period.
“However, it’s becoming more difficult to sustain a festival of Splore’s quality and depth so rather than diluting it I’d rather it finish with a bang.”
Splore began in Kariotahi in 1998 and was Aoteroa’s longest-running music, arts and camping festival.
The last installment of the three-day music and arts festival will go down at Auckland’s Tāpapakanga Regional Park from 20-22 February, 2026.
The bill included Sister Nancy, Nightmares on Wax, Mind Enterprises, General Levy, Tami Neilson, Miss Kaninna, Parson James, Illustrious Blacks, Beatles Dub Club, Coco Solid, Christoph El Truento, Te KuraHuia, Romi Wrights, Jess B, Franca, Dick Move, Estere and Half Queen.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
