Rotorua urged: Don't lose Raggamuffin to Auckland

Festival director Jackie Sanders wants to see more locals attend the event. Photo/Stephen Parker

Rotorua's rights to host the annual Raggamuffin Festival could be at risk if locals fail to support the event.

The two-day music festival, which starts on Friday, has been held in Rotorua for the past six years and has injected more than $15 million into the city's economy each time.

Festival director Jackie Sanders said that, while tickets had been selling fast, the number of locals buying tickets was very low.

She said Rotorua locals made up about 20 per cent of the people who attended the event each year.

This year, about 60 per cent of people expected to turn out to the festival are from Auckland, with a large percentage travelling from Australia and overseas, some from as far as Hawaii.

Ms Sanders said the festival might be under-appreciated by locals.

Rotorua has the rights to hold the festival for another year.

Ms Sanders said it was important for Rotorua to have a solid fan base for the event to ensure the city continued to host it in future.

Each year the concert has been held, organisers have been flooded with requests from cities around the country asking to host the festival, she said.

"We'd love to keep the event in Rotorua.

"The artists love coming here, with its cultural heritage and geothermal activity it's something special and unique for them. It's a place where they really get a taste for New Zealand culture."

But Ms Sanders said it would be cheaper if the event were held in Auckland, as it would cut travel and accommodation costs for the artists and event crews.

Rotorua District Council's events and venues general manager Peter McLeod said he hoped the event would continue to be hosted in Rotorua as it was "hugely beneficial" to the local economy.

"It has really put Rotorua on the map as an entertainment destination," he said.

However Mr McLeod said the festival's local attendance rate was not overly concerning.

"We've had locals make up to 30 per cent of people attending the event, which is quite a good number," he said.

"I think Rotorua strongly supports the festival."

The council would meet with festival organisers to discuss what happens after the city's contract to host the event expired, he said.

"It's an amazing festival and long may she continue here," he said.

Some readers on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page said they were not attending this year because it was too expensive, they didn't like the event being split over two days and they didn't like the line-up.

Discounted Raggamuffin tickets will be available for locals if bought at the Rotorua Night Market on Tutanekai St from 5pm tomorrow.