Auckland gets new music festival

Britomart Square will play host to its first music festival in February.

The day-long Laneway Festival on February 1 will be headlined by British post-punk band Echo and the Bunnymen, highly-touted British act Florence and the Machine, and noisy New Zealand pop rock band the 3Ds, who play for the first time in 12 years.

In the past the square has been a venue for concerts, Auckland arts festival shows, and even motorcross, but Laneway will be the
biggest music event to be held at the inner city site.

The name of the festival comes from Melbourne's Caledonian Lane where it started in 2004. The idea behind the festival is to bring together some of the world's "legendary" bands with the best up and coming acts for a concert in the heart of the city.

It's this concept of a venue situated in, and around, the lanes and alleyways of the inner city that attracted Britomart to the festival.

Britomart marketing director Sarah Hull said while the area does not have a lot of lanes at present the plan is to create more in the future.

"For us it was about doing something that will fit with the area in the long term. We just think Laneway fits with where the precinct is heading and our long time goal of making sure people get access to the heart of the city."

The line-up, with more acts to be announced in December, is: Echo and the Bunnymen, Florence and the Machine, The 3Ds, The Dirty Three, The XX, The Black Lips, N.A.S.A, Cut Off Your Hands, Family Cactus and Dear Times Waste.