Editorial: Time to wind up Raggamuffin

Raggamuffin was great. But it's time to move on. Photo/File

They say all good things must come to an end, and that couldn't be more true for Raggamuffin.

The event's promoter, Andrew McManus, released a statement last week revealing next month's Auckland concert will be the last - 10 years after the first event was held in Rotorua.

Mr McManus pulled Raggamuffin from Rotorua after the 2014 show, claiming ticket sales were too low and locals were no longer supporting it.

He wasn't wrong. Ticket sales indicated only 7 per cent were locals, when in its heyday about 35 per cent were locals.

Mr McManus made the gutsy admission to the Rotorua Daily Post last week that he should never have taken the reggae festival away from Rotorua.

Before canning the event altogether, he made an attempt to bring Raggamuffin back to Rotorua, asking the Rotorua Lakes Council if they would be prepared to have it back.

He said he wanted the chance to win back the locals. But the horse had bolted and the council said no.

The council's reasoning is the city is already committed to other events.

While the haters will say the council is foolish to let such a big event that brought millions of dollars into the city go by, in my opinion it made the right move.

Raggamuffin was great. For those few years on that weekend Rotorua turned into another city. The red, green and yellow flags were flown all over the city and dreadlocks were everywhere.

It was a peaceful, well-run festival that attracted very few problems - the police have confirmed this.

But as each year passed, the festival lost its punch. I was one of those locals who stopped going.

It wasn't that the acts weren't good or I didn't want to support it, it's just I had been there and done that. It was time for something new.

It was good hear Mr McManus admit the festival should never have been taken away from Rotorua.

This city gave that festival everything - hundreds of people including those who work at the council worked long and hard to make it a success.

It's just its time was up.