Echo promoter says he would have lost 'millions'

Promoter Paxton Talbot says he was forced to cancel Echo Festival after failing to attract punters when it moved from McLaren Falls in the Bay of Plenty to Auckland's Vector Arena.

The promoter of the failed Echo Festival says low ticket sales forced him to pull the plug, and if he'd continued with the event he would have lost "millions".

News arrived last week that the event, originally slated for McLaren Falls Park in the Bay of Plenty and later moved to Auckland's Vecor Arena, was canned.

With a line-up including Jamie xx, Kurt Vile, The Flaming Lips and Disclosure, there were many fans left disappointed.

But it's the fans who left festival boss Paxton Talbot with no choice but to walk away, or stand to lose millions, he said in an interview with The Wireless.

"Nobody came to the table. We had massive web traffic, loads of interest but nothing was turning into sales and it's an extremely expensive project," he said.

Talbot revealed he was bank rolling the venture himself, but refused to say how much he lost in the process.

The seasoned promoter added that Echo would have cost "millions" to bring to fruition.

"You can't bank on last minute sales. You can't bank on three or four thousand people rocking up in the last week because it doesn't happen."

Echo was just the latest casualty in a slump of slow ticket sales plaguing the New Zelaland market.

Kiwi crowds also lost out on SoulFest which was axed last minute.

With the move to Vector following issues with resource consent, ticket holders failed to touch the sides of a new 12,000 capacity venue.

He said people not buying tickets was a "massive issue" affecting more than just his event and had some advice for punters if they wished to see quality music festivals continue in this country.

"People need to get out there and they need to start supporting their local promoters and their local shows," he told The Wireless.

Those who purchased tickets to Echo Festival can get a full refund from the website.

-nzherald.co.nz