Editorial: Lakeside concert part of Rotorua

Rebecca Malcolm.

Sometimes, for a relatively small city, we punch well above our weight - and Lakeside is a prime example.

This weekend the popular free concert notched up its 20th anniversary, having been around long enough to have firmly cemented its place in the Rotorua event calendar.

Its longevity has probably meant that many of us are used to it being a regular fixture, but perhaps as a city we don't know just how lucky we are to have such an event.

For Rotorua to have a free outdoor concert featuring such a wide array of musical talent and a spectacular fireworks display is something truly amazing.

Over the years, organisers have resisted the lure to make it something more commercial, instead opting to stick to the founding motto that it remain a free event that is accessible to everyone.

And that's what makes it so special - seeing everyone from young families through to the city's elderly down at the Village Green enjoying it.

Credit must go to those trustees who each year put in countless hours of work to make sure the concert is a success - from the hours spent sourcing funding to choosing acts and arranging the hundreds of people who are involved both on and off stage.

This year the trust - largely unchanged since the first concert - is set to see some changes with three of the trustees calling it a day.

Already plans are under way for next year's concert and how to celebrate the event's 21st birthday with a suitable party.

But for now, all those involved can take a bow - and hopefully a well-deserved break.