Coastella Music Festival looks to the future

VARIETY: Lots of music artists took part in the Coastella Music Festival this year.

Organisers of the Coastella Music Festival suffered a financial loss but are dedicated to running an improved festival over the next few years.

Paul Brown, who addressed an environment and community development committee meeting today, said he and co-organiser Gerry Paul lost $25,000 in the inaugural festival.

But they were confident in the festival's long-term success and had locked in February 25 next year for the second festival, at Southward Car Museum.

The first festival, featuring about 20 bands, was held at Easter this year, on a grassed area at the back of the museum, which attracted 1250 people.

He said the money loss was in the "artist bill" which would need to be pegged back a bit but still include improvements.

Improvements to the festival were already being investigated including creating a local battle of the bands, artist workshops with leading bands, more entertainment areas for children, pre-festival workshops at schools, bring-your-own picnic, more food trucks, smoke-free zones and increased international artist line ups.

A survey of 130 people during and after the festival indicated 88 percent would come to the second festival.

"We're pretty rapt with that."

A total of 91 percent thought the festival was amazing or good, 45 percent were from outside the district especially Wellington, 87 percent had arrived by car and 10 percent by bus.

Mr Brown believed the festival had pumped about $50,000 into the local economy.

He said there might have been a feeling that ticket prices were "a little bit heavy" but those who went to the festival saw the value in it.

"It's well priced."

Early bird ticket prices were $65, door prices $80, $25 for those aged between 12 to 20, and under 12s were free of charge.

Family concessions were made just before the first festival but would be included when tickets went on sale for the next festival.

"It's a no-brainer."

Council had chipped $10,000 into the first festival which Mr Brown said had been soaked during the regulatory process of setting up the festival; there would be regulatory savings next year as processes were now in place.

Mr Brown said the intent of the festival, which he felt had a family focussed niche, was to grow the numbers "organically".

He hoped 6000 people would attend the third festival.

"We want to get to that in year three."

Committee chairwoman Penny Gaylor believed the second festival would "be a huge success".