The One Love Festival at Tauranga Domain in February 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
The One Love Festival at Tauranga Domain in February 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
Back-to-back long weekends are expected to pump millions of dollars into the local economy as thousands of people flock to the Bay of Plenty for big events.
A bigger-than-ever reggae festival, elite athletes and cultural celebrations are on the cards for the region over the Auckland Anniversary and Waitangi Day weekends.
The weather forecast, however, threatens to put a damper on the fun this weekend, with heavy rain warnings issued for the Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne and Coromandel for today and Saturday.
This year’s One Love festival is expected to be its biggest yet after increasing punter capacity from 20,000 to 22,000, and selling tickets fast and early.
The reggae festival will be held over two days on Auckland Anniversary weekend at the Tauranga Domain, and will feature local and international fan favourites, including UB40 ft Ali Campbell, L.A.B, J Boog, Fiji, Sons of Zion, Kolohe Kai, Rebel Souljahz, Katchafire, and Sean Kingston.
There were only 100 tickets remaining with 48 hours to go yesterday, according to the event’s social media. About 95 per cent had been sold as of mid-December.
It will be Glenn Meikle’s first One Love festival as the owner - though he’s worked on the bar since the first event - with last year’s show cancelled five days out due to Covid.
Meikle said the festival boundary had been extended to give everyone more space and places to sit in shaded areas.
One Love Festival will be back in 2023 in Tauranga on Auckland Anniversary weekend. Photo / NZME
He said it had been “a tough couple of years” and he was excited to bring the festival to the region, which he described as an event where everyone felt “a lot of love”.
Tauranga City Council event facilitation manager Jenna Quay said the “iconic” festival was a staple in the New Zealand events calendar, and the council would light up Wharf St in red, yellow and green for the festival.
She said a post-event report in 2020 showed that visitors to the festival spent $7.2 million in the city.
She said Tauranga was experiencing “one of its biggest event seasons to date” and both long weekends were expected to be “buzzing”, especially in the CBD.
Quay urged people to plan ahead this weekend, as there would be road closures and an influx of visitors for One Love.
Tonight, the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Black Falcons will perform an aerobatic display over Mount Maunganui beach, around 6pm.
The Black Falcons are the Royal New Zealand Air Force aerobatic team. Photo / Supplied
The team has a bustling schedule this display season, which goes until early April.
For the sports fans, the Vantage Black Sticks will take on Spain in a two-game series at Blake Park in Tauranga on Saturday and Sunday, with proceeds going to Women’s Refuge.
There’s also the Surf Life Saving Eastern Regional Championships on Sunday.
In Rotorua, the 37th edition of the Blue Lake Multisport Festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday at Tikitapu, Blue Lake.
Event director Carol Harwood said it was an “exciting” lineup, with the festival known for attracting elite and up-and-coming New Zealand triathlon talent.
Waitangi Day will also be packed, with an early morning Waitangi Day dawn service returning to Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve, followed by the Waitangi Day Festival at the Historic Village.
For the first time, Bay of Plenty Regional Council will run free buses to and from the Historic Village from as far as Whakatāne or Waihī, said He Iwi Kotahi Tauranga Moana Charitable Trust chairwoman Cynthia Hamel.
The festival will open with a welcome from celebrated actress and community leader, Mabel Wharekawa-Burt MNZM.
There will be a newly introduced Treaty Storyboard Trail, as well as reverence, ceremony, entertainment, and Māori art and food.
He Iwi Kotahi trustee and historian Buddy Mikaere said the festival was a time to commemorate the signing of the Treaty and “acknowledge and embrace Tauranga’s growing multicultural, multi-ethnic makeup”.
As part of this kaupapa, Te Manu Toroa, a local medical practice, will be on-site providing health checks and Whānau Ora information, and Heart Foundation NZ will be testing for diabetes and blood pressure. Huria Trust will also be offering information about its services.
Those who want to end the day with more waiata have the option to attend Sol3 Mio’s open-air concert at Wharepai Domain in the evening. The trio will be joined by Tami Neilson and Hollie Smith.
Sol3 Mio will perform an open-air concert at Wharepai Domain on Waitangi Day.
February 4 would also see the Classic Flyers Open Day, marking 18 years in operation with activities including DC-3 flights.
The Beach Volleyball NZ Secondary Schools Championships will be held in Mount Maunganui over the same weekend.
MetService yesterday issued heavy rain warnings for Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne between 4pm today and 4pm Saturday, and for Coromandel between 10am today and 10am Saturday.
The areas could see between 100 and 140 millimetres of rain about the ranges, and 60 to 90mm elsewhere.
Cowley said tourism, hospitality and retail operators were confident Kiwis would flock to the beaches, “especially since many were robbed of sunny weather during New Year’s”.
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / Mead Norton
He said businesses asked for patience from customers, as many places were still short-staffed and some supplies may run out.
He said the city would likely be packed, bringing a lot of vibrancy, with “everyone hoping for a fun, relaxed and friendly atmosphere across the region”.
Bookabach travel expert Daniel Finch said only six per cent of properties were left in Tauranga, and 10 per cent in Rotorua over Auckland Anniversary.
The trends were similar for Waitangi weekend, with 30 per cent of properties left in Tauranga and 16 per cent left in Rotorua.
Finch said it was “great to see confidence is back this year” following the last one, with many Kiwis “cautious” with their travel plans due to Omicron.
He said Bookabach had seen an increase in Kiwis looking for spacious and private holiday homes or baches over the last 12 months, where they could “really make the most of being together with their family and friends”.
There will be road closures for One Love from 11.59pm Friday to 6am on Monday, including parts of Cameron Rd, Durham St, Hamilton St, Harington St, Park St, Cliff Rd, Monmouth St, McLean St, Brown St and Mission St. Resident access will be maintained.
What’s on in the BOP
Jan 28-29: One Love Festival, Tauranga Domain
Jan 28-29: Vantage Black Sticks v Spain, Blake Park, Tauranga
Jan 28-29: Blue Lake Multisport Festival, Tikitapu (Blue Lake), Rotorua
