Company behind Auckland music festival Eden Fest in liquidation

Busta Rhymes was set to perform at Auckland music festival Eden Fest in October, but pulled out. The company organising the event is in liquidation due to a lack of ticket sales. Photo / Getty Images

The company behind the Eden Fest music festival is in liquidation after a lack of ticket sales meant costs of the event could not be met.

The Auckland event, which was held in October, received backlash from outraged festivalgoers demanding refunds after a spate of headline acts pulled out.

Festco NZ Limited was placed in liquidation on December 3. The company’s director and shareholder are both Australian-based.

Liquidators Steven Khov and Kieran Jones of Khov Jones said Festco did not have enough assets to satisfy its obligations and liabilities.

Their first liquidators’ report revealed unsecured creditors are owed $327,097.

The company had no assets at the date of liquidation and any recoveries for creditors are still being investigated, the liquidators said.

A list of creditors owed money includes waste management company Clean Event, Generator Rental Sales, Platinum Rentals NZ, Prestige Loos Limited, Rapid Temporary Fencing and The Water Cone.

Liquidators are still to determine if there are any unpaid wages, holiday or redundancy pay owed to former employees.

“It is not practicable to estimate the date of completion of the liquidation or if there will be any distribution at this stage,” the liquidators said.

New Zealand Companies Office records show Bernard Benjamin Kumar of Springfield Lakes in Queensland, Australia is the sole director of Festco NZ.

The company is owned by Stealth Music Group PTY Limited, a registered entity operating in Australia.

The Herald has contacted Festco in Australia for comment.

‘Unprofessional and disorganised’

A number of festivalgoers complained through the comment section of official event posts on Eden Fest’s social media accounts, with claims of “unprofessional” treatment from organisers after three artists pulled out.

Singer Miguel and rapper Busta Rhymes – both set to perform at Eden Fest – voluntarily pulled out in the lead-up to the event.

British rapper Yung Filly also pulled out after being charged two days prior to the event with rape and sexual assault during his Australian tour.

A ticket holder at the time told the Herald, “They should be offering at least a partial refund; I only bought tickets to see Miguel.”

One commenter said, “You announce this just over 24 hours to it starts! So unprofessional and disorganised!”

Another ticket-holder said, “Strange, didn’t hear anything of Busta pulling out. Now, the set times get released and he ain’t on there.

“This is ... not what I paid for.”

General admission tickets for the event were priced at $179, with VIP tickets setting people back $259.

Kiwi artist Stan Walker was among the line-up of artists who performed at Eden Fest, which also featured Afrobeats, RnB, reggae and hip-hop talents.