Polyfest fans still waiting for refunds

Katchafire were scheduled to play at the Polyfest festival at Kuirau Park on October 14. File photo / Duncan Brown

People who bought tickets to the canned Polyfest festival in Rotorua and Brisbane are still waiting to be refunded and bands who had played at the Australian shows are still waiting to be paid.

The festival was supposed to be held in front of 10,000 people at Kuirau Park on October 14 and feature Hawaiian reggae artist JBoog as well as Kiwi bands Katchafire and Sons of Zion. It was canned 10 days before the show due to poor ticket sales.

The Brisbane show, due to be held on October 8, was also cancelled.

The Polyfest Facebook page has been inundated with people wanting to know when they will be refunded for tickets to either of the events. Tickets for the Rotorua event cost $82.

Would-be festival goer Grace Latimer is also trying to get her money back.

She said she knew a "large number" of people were trying to get refunds but hadn't been able to get any response from the organisers. "I am one of those people along with a group of friends of mine," she said in an email to The Daily Post.

"It's becoming a worry and it seems that these refunds will not be given to people who have made these purchases. I have sent many emails and the last stipulated that I will get the media involved and that I will also inform my legal adviser, however I'm not surprised to hear no reply from them."

Sons of Zion frontman Rio Panapa, formerly of Rotorua, said his band was still waiting to be paid for the Melbourne and Sydney shows, which went ahead.

"We've not been paid and I know a lot of bands haven't," Mr Panapa said.

"We don't have high hopes of getting anything. A couple of my friends had booked accommodation and tickets for the Rotorua event and they're still waiting for a refund," he said.

Organiser Dean Harawira told The Daily Post in September that "thousands of tickets" had already been sold for the Rotorua gig and he was encouraging locals to get tickets fast in case they sold out.

People who had bought tickets were only given the info@polyfest.com.au email address to organise a refund.

Mr Harawira couldn't be reached for comment by phone and didn't respond to messages sent on Facebook by The Daily Post.