Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Reports of chaos at Raglan music festival Soundsplash with massive queues, dangerous driving, poor organisation

NZ Herald
18 Jan, 2019 01:08 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The queue at Soundsplash is reportedly stretching from Wainui Beach to Raglan town. Photo / Supplied

The queue at Soundsplash is reportedly stretching from Wainui Beach to Raglan town. Photo / Supplied

Dangerous queues several kilometres long and general "chaos" are being reported at a music festival kicking off today in Raglan.

Gates at Soundsplash were due to open at 8am - but punters turned up early, eager to get onto the site before security was ready.

Concerned mother Andi Brotherston dropped her son and his friends off at the event and was shocked at the scenes.

"It is inconceivable, they had 12 months to plan for this and they had one job, and they turn up late."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Brotherston said young people were waiting in a queue that stretched several kilometres from the festival site at Wainui Beach back to Raglan town in pouring rain.

The queue at Soundsplash in Raglan. Photo / Supplied
The queue at Soundsplash in Raglan. Photo / Supplied

Those driving to and from the event were becoming increasingly frustrated on the surrounding roads.

"This is a rural two lane road. There is no traffic management plan. People in the queue are getting frustrated, putting their hazard lights on and driving on the wrong side of the road towards people like me who have just dropped people off. It's just chaos."

The mother feared someone was going to get hurt.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I just can't believe an organisation like this is able to put on a massive event, in the middle of nowhere, knowing most people are coming from Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, or Taupō, and there is no traffic management."

Soundsplash organisers said they were working as fast as they could to get people safely into the festival.

A spokeswoman said they were experiencing the usual gate and traffic delays that happen with all festivals.

"We have tried to communicate clearly to our patrons about the expected delays when dealing with a town like Raglan which imposes challenges such as two one-way bridges, and narrow roads, however we know this beautiful site is worth it! Everyone inside is very positive," a spokeswoman said.

Ensuring security staff were carrying out searches of vehicles was still at the forefront for organisers, she said.

The situation was improving at 2pm and people were entering the event smoothly/

In a post on their Facebook page, they urged those waiting in cars not to drive on the wrong side of the road and to stay in their cars.

Organisers said they would hate for anyone to get hurt and were calling for people to be patient.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Media gag order on Tom Phillips case to be argued in court today

Waikato Herald

Documentary maker denies filming Phillips children after family backlash

Live
Waikato Herald

'Be their friend': Ex-hostage negotiator on how armed cops would have reasoned with Phillips children


Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Media gag order on Tom Phillips case to be argued in court today
Waikato Herald

Media gag order on Tom Phillips case to be argued in court today

The injunction was sought by lawyer Linda Clark for Tom Phillips' mother Julia.

10 Sep 08:37 PM
Documentary maker denies filming Phillips children after family backlash
Waikato Herald

Documentary maker denies filming Phillips children after family backlash

10 Sep 08:20 PM
'Be their friend': Ex-hostage negotiator on how armed cops would have reasoned with Phillips children
Live
Waikato Herald

'Be their friend': Ex-hostage negotiator on how armed cops would have reasoned with Phillips children

10 Sep 07:10 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP