Fritter Festival paused for 2026 as costs rise and ticket sales fall

Jordan Luck Band entertains the crowd at Fritter Festival 2024. Photo / NZME

One of Northland’s most anticipated summer events will not be returning in 2026 amid declining ticket sales and rising costs.

Fritter Festival organisers announced yesterday they would pause the event next year to review it and explore its future.

“Like other festivals across Aotearoa, rising costs and changing spending habits have created new challenges,” they said.

“Taking a break now will give us the chance to plan for a sustainable and exciting future.”

The news followed the event’s 10-year anniversary in March, headlined by reggae fusion band Kora.

Food, wine and beer are staples of Northland's Fritter Festival. Photo / NZME

Northland Events Centre Trust chief executive Brent Markwick said a conservative approach was needed to ensure the event’s future.

“We’re not signalling this is the end of Fritter,” he said.

“Financially, it wasn’t at a level which was sustainable this year.”

People had become more discretionary with their spending, ticket sales had declined, and the hospitality industry was struggling.

“Being essentially a focus on food and wine and beer ... that industry is going through challenges too,” Markwick said.

Organisers had been hesitant to put ticket prices up to cover costs, especially in the current economic climate.

“It’s a very delicate balance.”

Big names like Sir Dave Dobbyn have headlined Fritter Festival. Photo / NZME

Markwick said the decision not to run the flagship event next year aimed to make sure they didn’t get into an “even bigger situation”.

About 2500 people attended the event this year. Pre-Covid numbers averaged shy of 5000, with about 3000 post-Covid.

“We were reasonably quick to make that decision that we couldn’t make that risk for 2026,” Markwick said.

He was disappointed but wanted to ensure the organisation was not put at undue risk.

Fritter Festival 2024 had about 4000 attendees, with Sir Dave Dobbyn headlining. Photo / NZME

“As an organisation we would love to see it return and return successfully.”

The aim of Fritter Festival was always to make an event the community enjoyed and was proud of.

“Also giving opportunities for the likes of vendors and bands, especially local bands to step up in front of a good audience,” Markwick said.

Over the years, the Fritter Festival has been host to some big names like Sir Dave Dobbyn, The Feelers and The Black Seeds.

Award-winning food, wine and beer had been at the centre of the event.

Next year is not the festival’s first hiatus - a three-year break was taken through the Covid 19 pandemic. The event returned in 2023.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.