Numerous punters attending the Nightglow last weekend raised concerns about the organisation of the bus services to and from the event.
Organisers of the Balloons over Waikato Festival have come under fire over this year’s Nightglow, with several punters saying it had been an “awful experience”.
Social media pages were flooded with upset attendees mentioning issues with the layout and set-up of the event, as well as buses, traffic management and parking, including people being injured and crushed in the crowds.
The organisers said in a statement they acknowledged the issues, and the experience at the end of the evening “did not meet expectations”.
The Nightglow concluded the annual hot air balloon festival in previous years, but the organisers, Balloons over Waikato Trust, decided to mix it up this year and have it as the opening event.
After three years at Claudelands Oval, the Nightglow also returned to the University of Waikato.
More than 55,000 people attended, the organisers said.
While social media feedback shows many attendees seemed to enjoy themselves earlier in the night, welcoming the return to the university and the entertainment in the lead-up to the Nightglow, numerous people also raised concerns about leaving the event.
In a post on the Balloons Over Waikato page, one person said while he appreciated the effort that went into putting on a free event like the Nightglow, the bus organisation had been “shocking and unsafe”.
The Waikato Herald contacted the person for further comment but was directed back to the post.
“There didn’t seem to be enough space for queuing, which led to people spilling on to the road and into the bus lane,” he wrote.
“Once we got onto the bus, grown adults were pushing others on from the outside onto the already packed bus, so much that elderly and children were getting crushed. Kids were crying and screaming from the panic, one kid even got separated from their mother as the door shut. It felt like there wasn’t any crowd management or safety plans.
“Once on board, buses were then caught in traffic due to no dedicated exit.”
Several people commented they had left the event grounds as soon as the Nightglow ended about 8.30pm but weren’t able to catch a bus until after 10pm.
Another person commented that the event “didn’t seem organised at all”.
“When we got into the event there [was] no signage, no people in control, no one to give direction.
“The parking was a nightmare, exits not being utilised, no one directing traffic efficiently. It took us two hours to get out.”
There were also several comments from people who had paid for parking in advance, but were reportedly turned away because the parking area was already full.
Another person said while she had a “wonderful” time with her family, there were issues with the quality of the stage and the sound system.
“We were sitting towards the back of the crowd in front of the stage and all we could hear was the bass, the music was quiet and couldn’t hear the singing or talking at all.”
Some people also complained that many of the balloons deflated after only being up for a few minutes.
While police said “no incidents of note” relating to the Nightglow were reported to them, Hato Hone St John was notified of a fall incident on May St / Knighton Rd at 8.42pm and transported one patient in moderate condition to Waikato Hospital.
The annual hot air balloon festival is owned and governed by the Balloons Over Waikato Trust, which contracts Wellington-based Lightning Events to deliver the event.
Balloons Over Waikato chairman Steve Gow said they were aware of the “frustration” and apologised on behalf of the event.
“Balloons Over Waikato apologises to those who were inconvenienced.
“We’re sorry to those who experienced delays or disruption.
“That’s not the experience we want for our community, and we take responsibility for that.
“We know how important this event is to our community and we are committed to improving the experience.”
Gow said while plans were in place for parking and transport, the delivery on the night did not operate as planned, which contributed to congestion and confusion.
“There were four exit points in operation on the evening, with total egress capacity exceeding New Zealand requirements for an event of this size and nature.”
He said the full site was cleared within the “expected” timeframe of one hour and 40 minutes.
Regarding the bus and park-and-ride services, Gow said Balloons Over Waikato partnered with Waikato Regional Council, which co-ordinated and delivered the free services through its providers.
“Issues were experienced on the night, and these are being reviewed with the relevant transport partners.”
A council spokesperson also recognised there had been issues.
“Waikato Regional Council acknowledges there were delays experienced on the night, which will have been frustrating for some bus passengers,” they said.
“As this was the first event under new arrangements at the University of Waikato. We are working with event organisers and the transport provider to identify opportunities for improvements.
“Any further questions relating to the event will be best answered by the organisers.”
Gow said the issues with the prepaid parking areas being full had been because of vehicles parked in designated event spaces earlier in the day, before event operations were in place.
Those affected will be offered a full refund on parking and are asked to contact Balloons Over Waikato directly.