Taranaki TSB Festival of Lights brightens local economy with $9.2 million cash injection

Spirograph, designed by the Onga Artful Light Company from Thailand, was among 14 light installations featured in the 2023/2024 TSB Festival of Lights in Taranaki. Photo / Charlotte Curd

Taranaki’s economy is brighter than ever thanks to the TSB Festival of Lights.

The annual event, which started in 1953, draws thousands of visitors to New Plymouth each year. The last season, which ran over December 2023 and January 2024, put $9.2 million into the local economy, according to a recent report.

That report, from Business and Economic Research Ltd (BERL), stated the $9.2m was a $1.2m increase from the previous season.

As well as a boost in money, the festival also had an increase in visitors. The recent festival was attended by 175,000 people, a 20 per cent increase from 140,000 visitors the year before.

Thirty-nine per cent of the visitors were from outside the region, with 69 per cent of them visiting the region specifically for the festival.

In an emailed press release, New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom said he is not surprised by the festival’s success.

“It just keeps getting better every year with mesmerising new light installations and entertainment, attracting locals and people from all over Aotearoa. It helps create amazing experiences for our people and visitors in our Sustainable Lifestyle Capital.”

He said events like the TSB Festival of Lights are vital to the local economy.

“I am thrilled to see local businesses reaping the rewards of all the hard work put in by the New Plymouth District Council.”

New Plymouth District Council events lead Lisa Ekdahl said organising the festival is a massive undertaking that starts almost as soon as the previous one packs out, so it is satisfying to see all that work pay off.

“We started preparing for this festival in February and are always looking at how can we make it better, so to hear people loved it, visited several times and that our local economy has benefitted makes all those hours of effort worth it.”

The next TSB Festival of Lights is scheduled for later this year. In the meantime, a smaller-scale pop-up event will take place over Matariki weekend - Thursday, June 27 to Sunday, June 30.