Delays expected as Bay Dreams influx arrives in Tauranga

The Bay Dreams team Mitch Lowe, Pato Alverez, and Ervin McSweeney are urging people to be patient on the roads as an influx of festival-goers arrive in town. Photo / file

More than 30,000 people are expected to attend one of New Zealand's biggest festivals this week and motorists are being urged to take care on the roads and allow for delays.

Bay Dreams, a two-day music festival held at Trustpower Baypark in Mount Maunganui includes a pre-party on January 1 and the main event on January 2.

The sell-out January 2 event features hip-hop superstar Cardi B, Sheck Wes, Rich The Kid, Shapeshifter, Tash Sultana, Sticky Fingers, Peking Duk, $uicideboy$, Macky Gee, Pnau, Katchafire and more.

With tens of thousands of people heading to the venue over the two days, organisers Pato Alvarez and Mitch Lowe want people to be safe on the roads and are urging motorists to plan for the expected delays and to follow all signs and directions of traffic management staff.

It was also important for members of the community to know that road closures would be in place and access to the Te Maunga Transfer Station on Truman Lane would be limited on January 2. All access will be via the Sandhurst Drive interchange.

Traffic delays are expected to peak in the afternoon so anyone wanting to avoid potential delays at the Te Maunga Transfer Station may want to consider using the transfer station on the morning of January 2 or the following day, on January 3, when the road closures are removed.

The Bay Dreams Mount Maunganui experience offers an international and national line-up of acts, licensed bars, food vendors, carnival rides, camping facilities, art installations and more.

Alvarez said they wanted everybody to have an enjoyable and safe experience and they would be taking a zero-tolerance approach to intoxication and bad behaviour.

To ensure safety in getting to and from the venue, there were four park-and-ride locations around where people could catch a bus to and from the festival. Buses will pick up ticket-holders from Mount Maunganui, the City Centre, Pāpāmoa and Toi Ohomai's Windermere campus.