One Love festival: 20,000 people bring expected $20m boost to economy

Thousands attend the One Love festival at Wharepai Domain. Photo / Andrew Warner

This year's One Love Festival has been described as the "best one to date", attracting 20,000 people and pumping an expected $20 million into the local economy.

Thousands of revellers packed out Tauranga's Wharepai Domain on February 6 and 7 for One Love, with most of the acts livestreamed worldwide to more than 100,000 people.

The two-day festival officially sold out three weeks ago for the fourth year in a row, with 8500 people on the waiting list for tickets.

The venue was awash with colour as many festivalgoers, wearing reggae-theme red, gold and green attire, danced in front of the main stage.

Organiser Pato Alvarez, of Pato Entertainment, said the festival was the "best one to date".

Alvarez said there was good energy everywhere and everyone was happy and enjoying the weekend.

"It's been a great weekend."

Alvarez said 20,000 people attended the festival on both days, which he expected to pump $20m back into the local economy and generate an average spend of $1000 per person.

Image 1 of 12: One Love Festival, Wharepai Domain, Tauranga. 07 February 2021 The Bay of Plenty Times Photograph by Andrew Warner.

"Being one of the only countries in the world to be able to put on a festival like this is a great feeling," he said.

"Events like this are probably the biggest income for the local businesses now with borders shut and not many tourists. It is great for hospitality and retail shops."

Alvarez said the festival was also livestreamed worldwide with more than 100,000 people watching.

"It makes us happy to be able to share the aroha (love) to the world."

This year due to the impacts of Covid-19 across the globe, the 25 performers were proudly Kiwi talent.

Fat Freddy's Drop made their One Love debut as headliners and featured alongside other world-renowned homegrown artists, including L.A.B, Kora, Maisey Rika, Katchafire, Sons of Zion, Ardijah, Stan Walker, Dave Dobbyn and The Black Seeds.

Lisa Te Paa, 45, from West Auckland and Francida Doak, 47, from Whangarei, were keen to catch headline act L.A.B. Photo / Andrew Warner

Lisa Te Paa 45, from West Auckland, said this was her seventh time attending the festival and she just loved the whole music and vibe.

"It's an awesome event and I wouldn't miss it for anything. Ardijah and The Black Seeds were just awesome," she said.

Te Paa said Saturday was "so chill" but with a lot more people attending on Sunday and seeing L.A.B perform live was going to be an "awesome" experience.

Te Paa came with four friends, including Francida Doak, 47, from Takahiwai in Whangarei.

Doak and Te Paa said they were not fazed that there were no international acts performing.

"We just love the music and the fact that the lineup is the very best of our homegrown talent," they said.

Rotorua's David Ihaka, 50, attended his seventh One Love Festival free over the weekend. Photo / Andrew Warner

David Ihaka, 50, from Rotorua said this was his seventh One Love Festival.

Decked from head to toe in red, gold and green with Bob Marley's image printed on his clothing as well as the One Love logo, there was no doubt where Ihaka's loyalties lay.

"It's just the love of the music which keeps me coming back. This year it was just awesome that Pato gave me a free ticket to say a big thanks for being a loyal supporter."

Ihaka, who also attended with his daughter Shante Puketapu, 30, and her friend Teia Ingram, 41, said he could not wait to see L.A.B take the stage.

"They are just awesome act and I wouldn't miss seeing them live for anything."

A group of six Dunedin mothers were also among the thousands of festivalgoers.

(L to R) One Love attendees Gina Egen, Jenna Dale, Kelly Dinkelaar, Sophie Reynolds, Janine Carroll and Kimberley Stewart on a girls-only weekend from Dunedin. Photo / Andrew Warner

Janine Carroll, a first-time One Love attendee, said she and her friends were on a "girl's-only weekend" having left their husbands back at home babysitting their children.

Carroll said their husbands went on regular boys-only fishing trips, so when they learned L.A.B was performing at One Love they jumped at the chance to attend minus partners.

"It's been an amazing, magical experience and something we will never forget," Carroll said.

"The music, the vibe, the atmosphere and the friendly people have been so fantastic.

"There has been so much love and so much aroha not just by the musicians but by the other festivalgoers and I will definitely be coming back next year."

Asher Dwen, 36, from Tauranga, said this was the fifth time she had attended the festival and came especially to catch debut headliners L.A.B. and regulars like Katchafire.

"I love all the homegrown talent its awesome."

A "Sani Squad" meandered through the happy, chilled crowd, providing hand sanitiser and wearing a QR code to remind festivalgoers to ensure they used the Covid-19 tracer app.

There were also reminders broadcast by Dr Ashley Bloomfield on the big screens.

Overall, Alvarez said there had been some "very small incidents" at the festival but nothing unusual.

He thanked his team of organisers, the Tauranga City Council and police for supporting the event, as well as the bands for "blessing the stage" and the fans for "always bringing the best energy to the festival".

Police said there had been no reports of any incidents of note at the festival.