Raggamuffin festival turns up heat

Better organised than last year.

That's the verdict from Saturday's night's Raggamuffin. Although the 22,000 ticket sales were well down on the 35,000 who attended last year, Raggamuffin 2009 is being hailed a huge success.

Event and Venues general manager Peter McLeod said big lessons were learnt that meant there were not the same congestion problems with traffic, ticket gates and food and beverage.

"Overall it was just fantastic to see between 20,000 and 30,000 people having such a great time."

Mr McLeod said although an economic impact study hadn't been done on Raggamuffin to find out what it meant financially to Rotorua, he estimated it would be millions of dollars. "I think we ought to acknowledge Andrew McManus Presents [the promoter] to bring it to New Zealand and to select Rotorua ahead of the main centres - it's pretty courageous."

Leesa Tilley, general manager Andrew McManus Presents, said she was pleased with how it was run and had plans to come back next year.

"We could have done with another 10,000 people but we're happy."

St John Ambulance staff, however, were pleased the numbers were slightly down this year - saying the roomier conditions meant it was easier to get to those who were in trouble.

St John event co-ordinator Darryl Stretch said more than 170 were treated for a raft of problems but mainly for alcohol, taking drugs and becoming dehydrated in the heat.

He said the conditions became so hot, a decision was made with the promoters about 1pm to spray the crowd with water from the stage.

"There just wasn't enough shade. We were getting crowded in our tents with people coming in just for the shade."

Rotorua police area commander Inspector Bruce Horne said a total of 48 people were arrested in Rotorua on Saturday, including fewer than 10 arrests in the venue during the concert.

Of those 48, 22 were for breaching the liquor ban and six were for possession of cannabis.

He said there wasn't the same negative attitude from some of the concert goers as they had last year, which saw a police car being bottled and out-of-town concert goers throwing glass bottles along the highways. "It was a big improvement but people are still turning up heavily intoxicated, walking up with their chilly bins of beer and wondering why they can't be let in."

Mr Horne said drunks were the only "fly in the ointment.

"Those released from the cells [yesterday] morning had spent over $100 for a concert they can't even remember."