Nest Fest has been held at the Black Barn Vineyard Amphitheatre for the last three years. Photo / Ian Cooper
Nest Fest has been held at the Black Barn Vineyard Amphitheatre for the last three years. Photo / Ian Cooper
There's little need to travel far for festival-loving Hawke's Bay locals as the region is quickly becoming a hub for live music events, according to event managers.
Black Barn hosted its third Nest Fest day-festival on January 9 with 4000 tickets sold, and Hastings is to host its biggest concertwith Six60's show at Hawke's Bay Showgrounds Tomoana on Saturday.
Outfield Festival on February 13 in Te Awanga has already sold more than 60 per cent of the tickets and smaller, boutique festivals like Bridge Pa Wine festival has sold out.
Napier City Council event manager Kevin Murphy said the industry in the region has been bubbling away for a few years and evidence of their work is now visible.
"We've always had very good established venues like Black Barn – they're always going to attract lots of good acts," he said.
"And then there's been the launch of other festivals like Outfield, Summer Solstice, Cape Estate Boxing Day. And just about every second winery or cider place has Sunday or Saturday music sessions."
In the festival's second year, Outfield Festival director Jesse Hunter said there's been a big increase in ticket demand.
"We've seen a huge increase in engagement across social media," he said.
Hunter said those who worked on the event last year (attendees, volunteers, vendors, site crew, suppliers and artists) shared their positive experiences with friends and family, which has been an important part of building on the success.
The event has also increased in size to three music stages, a dedicated food area with more local vendors, and artists will be painting, building installations and dressing up the festival to "bring the venue to life", he said.
Outfield Festival's main music stage last year on the Te Awanga Downs. Photo / Ian Cooper
Hunter said the region has seen a growth in the creative industry, which has helped Hawke's Bay's become a popular place for events and concerts, as well as an award-winning wine region.
"There is a real community spirit behind it all," he said. "The rise in locally led and managed events has meant more is generally happening.
"We are invested in the long-term growth of the industry in Hawke's Bay and the positive impacts it has on the community."
A total of 31 acts will be performing on the Te Awanga Downs on February 13 from 1pm - including The Phoenix Foundation, Nadia Reid and Hawke's Bay's Thomas Oliver.
Murphy said another reason the events and music sector has taken off is because of the established network of people who can host events.
"We've also got a really good range of personnel," he said.
"Promoters around the country see Hawke's Bay as an opportunity along with the willingness from us as venues. People want to see more activity here – they see that enthusiasm."
Murphy said it's great that big promoters are willing to drop content in the region and "give it a go", helping Hawke's Bay to become a hub for festivals and big music events.
