Mum 'fuming' after entry to L.A.B's Tauranga concert restricted to 18 and older

A mother is "fuming" after L.A.B announced their Tauranga concert next month will now be restricted to those aged 18 and older.

The decision turned her family's "highlight of the year" into tears and disappointment.

Tickets to the December 30 concert at Wharepai Domain went on sale in August, but in an email on Monday, promoters Loop said "due to circumstances outside of [their] control", the concert would now be R18 "due to licensing issues".

"We had planned to give all ages the opportunity to attend this event, but due to circumstances outside of our control, we are no longer able to host anyone under the age of 18," the email said.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience.

"If you have purchased tickets for this event for someone under 18, they will no longer be able to attend this show."

Donna Korenhoff Mckeagg purchased tickets to the concert in August. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tickets could either be resold or refunded.

Support worker Donna Korenhoff Mckeagg purchased tickets to the concert at Wharepai Domain the moment they went on sale.

"My boys are head over heels for L.A.B," the mum of five said. "The concert was supposed to be a good ending to our crappy year."

Mckeagg said 2022 had been a "tough mental health year" for her family, with bullying, anxiety and depression affecting some of her kids.

Mckeagg had been taking extra night shifts to cover for sickness and staff shortages. Her husband, who worked in hospitality, also had a tough year due to the lack of workers in the industry.

"I've been working my butt off and [have] not been home for my kids."

Mckeagg said she and her husband had organised two nights away around the concert with "all the works".

"We don't do these things very often. We'd paid and booked to stay at a hotel in town. We were going to get breakfast. It was all sorted, and we were so looking forward to it."

Mckeagg, her husband, and their two younger sons, aged 12 and 13, live a 40-minute drive away from Wharepai Domain, towards Rotorua.

When Mckeagg told her 12-year-old son the news, he burst into tears.

"He's constantly singing L.A.B. He knows all the words. That concert was going to be the highlight of my kids' year."

The Tauranga concert is at Wharepai Domain on December 30. Photo / Sarah Hunter

Mckeagg said she was "still fuming" over the email.

"What do I do now? There's no point in me going. It was for the kids. It was a family event.

"I'm always away from my family at night. I planned this, I got time off work. All that hard work's been for nothing.

"Now I just hope I get my refund before Christmas."

Tauranga City Council environmental regulation manager Nigel McGlone said all events where alcohol is served require an alcohol license which sets out the measures organisers will take to keep people safe.

"This is especially important at events for all ages where alcohol is to be sold and supplied to those attending."

McGlone said in the case of the upcoming L.A.B concert, police, the Medical Officer of Health and the Tauranga City Council Alcohol Licensing team raised concerns with concert organisers about how the event would be managed and how attendees who were under 18 would be kept safe.

"Concert organisers were advised that the application would likely be opposed in its current form and that a District Licensing Committee hearing may be required.

"The applicant has since advised Council that they would prefer not to go to a hearing and instead, they would amend their application to an event that was R18."

McGlone said the reporting agencies would continue to work with concert organisers in relation to the management of the event and advise that any questions about the concert go to the event's promoter.

Loop was approached for comment.

All refund requests, meanwhile, must be made before 5pm on November 14.