Seventeen arrests during music festival Juicy Fest Napier

Ne-Yo entertains the crowds at Juicy Fest Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor

Seventeen people were arrested during music event Juicy Fest in Napier as organisers labelled the major festival an otherwise “massive success”.

Famous hip-hop and R&B artists such as Nelly, Ne-Yo and Ja Rule took to the stage on Thursday at Park Island and delighted fans in one of Hawke’s Bay’s biggest music events of the year.

Juicy Fest is touring New Zealand and Australia and chose Napier for its very first show on Thursday attracting about 9000 people.

A large police and security presence was on hand throughout the show, and police confirmed there were 17 arrests for mainly disorder and trespass offences.

Juicy Fest promoter Glenn Meikle praised the work of all those involved in the event, from the cleaners to the production team, and said it was overall a “massive success”.

Most people were well behaved and enjoyed the huge festival. Photo / Paul Taylor

“We had about 9000 people at the Napier show and while it is very unfortunate to hear that 17 of them were arrested for disorder and trespassing, the large majority, however, were well-behaved and were there for the positive experience we aimed to create through Juicy Fest.

“Juicy Fest is a new brand and we are pleased with what we have produced.”

He said the artists loved their time in Napier and they “really thrived off the people and the energy they were given there”.

One person was seriously injured in a suspected fight about 10.35pm on Westminster Avenue in Tamatea near the concert venue shortly after the event finished. That person was taken to hospital for treatment.

Unfortunately, heavy rain forecast for Bay of Plenty led to the second show of the tour being cancelled in Tauranga on Friday.

Juicy Fest is scheduled to hold shows in Palmerston North on Saturday, Auckland on Sunday, and Whangarei on Wednesday before heading across the ditch.