“We have never said we won’t return to Whangārei,” Meikle said. “We love Northland and would love to come back there one day.”
Organisers were “thrilled” to bring a lineup of high-calibre international artists to Whangārei this year.
“All of the artists on our lineup enjoyed the energy from the Northland crowd, which was a great way to finish the New Zealand leg of the Juicy Fest tour.”
But the decision to move Juicy Fest to more centralised locations provided all New Zealanders with the fairest chance to experience the festival, he said.
“Although Northland is not included in the 2024 tour, we’ve tried to ensure its closest location is as accessible as possible for Northland residents.”
The thought process behind venue locations for the festival’s debut was to ensure it was widely accessible. Meikle said that remained a goal of organisers.
He pointed out that, for South Island fans, Palmerston North was the closest they could get to Juicy Fest 2023. That was why Christchurch had been added to the list of host cities for next year.
And while Meikle acknowledged the North Shore wasn’t the same as “home turf”, organisers hoped the location north of the harbour bridge made it “a little easier” for Northlanders to make the trip south.
“We would love to add more New Zealand shows to the tour but logistically that’s not possible at this time. However, that’s not to say we can’t include more locations in future festivals.”
Juicy Fest organisers were “always keen” to hear people’s input on where the festival should be held, he said.
“[...] We will continue to make changes each year that we feel will improve the festival experience for attendees.
“If people think we should add a new location to future tours, definitely let us know – we’ll always take feedback, ticket sales and support into account for all locations.”
Juicy Fest 2024 will be held at North Harbour Stadium on January 6. Tickets are already on sale and available from www.juicyfest.co/
