Are Kiwis protected if expensive concerts are cancelled?

Festivals like Rhythm & Vines have gone off this summer, but what if your gig is cancelled?

By Krystal Gibbens of RNZ

Concert-goers have seen a spate of concerts and festivals being cancelled or changed around the country in the last few months.

Late last year it was confirmed Bay Dreams, once the country’s biggest music festival, will not go ahead in 2025.

Last year summer music festival Nest Fest was also cancelled after four artists pulled out.

So what are your rights if a concert or festival is cancelled?

Consumer NZ said if an event you had purchased tickets to was cancelled you were entitled to a refund.

Nest Fest was cancelled last year after the company behind it collapsed.

Consumer NZ senior investigative writer Chris Schulz said the Fair Trading Act also covered date or headliner changes.

Last year furious customers demanded refunds from Eden Fest in Auckland after some of its headliners pulled out.

Schulz said Consumer considered this a change to the contract between buyer and seller.

“We believe that if you’ve bought a ticket to a show to like a festival saying there’s a bunch of acts and you’ve bought it for the main act, the headliner, and that headliner drops out, then you are entitled to a refund.”

Meanwhile in October last year those travelling to rapper Travis Scott were hit with exorbitant travel and accommodation costs after the event organiser brought the concert forward a day just a week out from the Eden Park concert.

Juicy Fest also cancelled its New Zealand locations after not being able to obtain the licences it needed.

Although the tickets were covered under the Fair Trading Act, Consumer NZ said whether people were entitled to travel and accommodation costs depended on the seller’s liability under the Consumers Guarantees Act.

Last year, Travis Scott's Eden Park show was moved forward a day just a week out from the concert. Photo / Getty Images

“If they’ve breached one of the guarantees, you may be entitled to claim for any reasonably foreseeable consequential losses. If not, a seller probably isn’t required to compensate you for other costs like accommodation or airfares,” Consumer advises on its website.

People could also buy travel insurance or ticket cover from vendors such as Ticketmaster and Ticketek.

Schulz said ticket cover could be a handy way to cover you in the event of an emergency.

He said with concert tickets also going on sale well in advance of the event it could also provide some reassurance.

“A lot can happen in a year,” he said.

“If you’re gonna be moving or if you’re worried about something like that happening, just check and see if that’s covered.”

But he said people did need to read the terms and conditions closely to ensure they were covered for what they thought they were.