Mardi Gras 2025: Behind the scenes of Ohakune’s winter music festival

More than 8000 people attended the Ohakune Mardi Gras music festival in 2022.

Ohakune’s Mardi Gras is one of New Zealand’s oldest music festivals and is expected to have around 8000 attendees for the 2025 event on Saturday, June 28. Fin Ocheduszko Brown talks with Ohakune Events Charitable Trust’s Jayde Lowe to find out what goes into making it possible.

Why it started

Ohakune Mardi Gras was first held in 1996 as a way to revive spirits in the community following the Mt Ruapehu eruptions in 1995 and 1996.

The eruptions and poor snowfall contributed to an all-time low for out-of-town visitors; the local economy was down 20%.

The festival was started by a different group of people and taken over by the Ohakune Events Charitable Trust in 2005.

The event was cancelled in 2017 after the previous year’s event suffered a large loss.

It was revived the following year as an R18 event after Audiology Touring came on board to help.

Jayde Lowe (left) and Emma Young are members of the Ohakune Events Charitable Trust, which owns Ohakune's Mardi Gras Festival.

Lowe said Audiology Touring had done a fantastic job since it had been involved with the event.

“They have been able to take it to that next level with international acts and grow it from being a 4000 people event to an 8000-9000 people event, which is incredible,” she said.

The event had a big year in 2021, following the previous year’s Covid-19 lockdowns, bringing in $1.5 million for the Ruapehu economy.

Setting up

The physical setting up of the festival starts about six days before kick-off when Audiology Touring arrives in Ohakune.

Lowe said setting up the stage took three to four days because it changed every year and was unique to the artists.

There is a constant conveyor belt of people coming and going into the town during the week of the event, with staff, artists, crew and contractors.

While the Ohakune Events Charitable Trust team is made up of six trustee volunteers, there are more volunteers for social media.

Lowe tries to get as many of the Ruapehu community as possible involved in the event.

“Here in the Ruapehu District, we have all these things, but not enough of them,” Lowe said.

“We have to bring people from out of town to help fill some of the roles but we do try and fill what we can from locals.”

Mardi Gras is known to be a festival for attendees to dress up in costumes and hopefully combat the mid-winter temperatures.

Lowe said the Audiology Touring team was “massive”, consisting of a core group of four and many logistics staff, security and event setters.

The planning for Mardi Gras starts immediately after the last event, if not during it.

The event takes place from Thames St to Rimu St, which requires shutting all of Thames St and part of Rimu St to traffic.

All the bars along Thames St are occupied with artists and equipment in them.

Lowe said she could not estimate how many drinks they brought in for Mardi Gras but “I do remember being there when we were unpacking last year and there is just pallets of stuff”.

Booking acts

Mardi Gras has historically had an extensive and versatile lineup, with drum and bass, rap and techno being some of the main genres.

Previous years’ headliners have included Dimension, Luude, Alcemist and Netsky.

In 2018, Audiology Touring was able to bring Pendulum out of retirement to perform.

Lowe said booking acts was dealt with by Audiology Touring, in particular promoter and founder Mitch Lowe and general manager Luke Williams.

Deciding on acts depended on who was popular for that year, the artist’s schedule and listening to attendees’ suggestions and feedback.

Economic impact

Mardi Gras creates some serious dough for the Ruapehu economy.

Last year’s event brought in just over $1m of tourism expenditure despite not selling out, and 2021 gave the community a $1.5m boost.

“For our little part of the country, that is massive for us for our local families and businesses to benefit from that money coming in,” Lowe said.

“Getting that stimulation, right at the start of winter, really helps just in case it is slow to take off.”

Lowe said the influx of money created a flow-on effect, meaning businesses that benefited directly from tourism were often then in a position to better support other local trusts and events.

Ohakune and surrounding towns benefit from the festival, with more than $1 million made in 2024.

Lowe said the amount of money spent on tourism for the weekend was especially impressive because of Mardi Gras’ location.

“We understand that we are a destination event for people coming from Auckland, Wellington and around the country,” she said.

“It does take a lot to get here because we don’t have airports or stuff like that but it’s really cool if people can come here and experience other things as well.”

With this year’s event expected to host close to 8000 visitors, the Ruapehu economy is set for another timely boost.

What the future holds

Lowe hoped the event would continue and grow but said there needed to be more emphasis on accommodation.

“We hope to just keep doing it. Times have been a bit tough, accommodation for people coming along seems to get tighter every year,” she said.

“That is something we are going to have to focus on in the future, making sure we’ve got space for people that want to come and stay but that is a bigger conversation with the wider community.”

The organisers hope Mardi Gras will continue and grow.

The Ohakune community was incredibly understanding of the event and what it meant for the region economically, she said.

“You never are going to make every single person happy but, for the most part, people are really supportive.”

“All of the funds that the trust gets for running Mardi Gras get put back into the community and people understand that,” Lowe said.

The 2026 Mardi Gras will mark 30 years since its inception which Lowe said was a “huge milestone”.

“We are trying to make every year special.

“Next year should be a good one, but this year should be good as well.”

What to expect this year

This year’s Mardi Gras promises to be a good one, with the lineup including Hybrid Minds, Club Sachi, Delta Heavy and many more.

It is on Saturday, June 28, from 3pm until 11pm.

“Make sure when you come along that you are travelling safe and have a super awesome time,” Lowe said.

“Get out and explore more of Ohakune and Raetihi while you are here - it really is just a beautiful place.”

Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.