Kelly Makiha: Festival's winning formula

Kelly Makiha.

Rotorua's new format for its Glo Festival can be ticked off as a great success.

The festival was held over three days and for the first time incorporated a busking competition, a movie night and a New Year's Eve party.

Prior to the festival starting in 2012, Rotorua had a New Year's Eve Mardi Gras at the Soundshell, which was a concert featuring top named acts and a big fireworks display.

While the Mardi Gras had a great run, it was time for Rotorua to have something new because the concert was starting to attract the unsavoury element.

I remember going to the Mardi Gras in 2009/2010 and at times felt quite anxious at what was about to happen as groups of gang members hovered around families trying to have fun with their children.

The Glo Festival started in 2012 and steered away from just the late night concert and instead centred on families. Each year since it has been great, but the previous one was the best.

The Glo Spot Buskers Competition was held on the first night, Tuesday, December 29, and showed off our Government Gardens area. Ten finalists were selected from an online competition who played off against each other on the finals night, with the winner taking away $1500 cash.

The next night was perhaps the greatest, the Glo Movies at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) on Wednesday which saw 11,000 people gather on the fields in front of the picturesque lake on a glorious early evening while two movies were played on a big screen.

Beaming kids and parents could be seen everywhere. It was the sort of thing summer holiday memories were made of.

Then the final night, the Glo Party, at the Village Green on New Year's Eve, saw a top line up of talent take the stage from 6pm to midnight. For families with little kiddies, there was a fireworks display just after 9pm so they didn't miss out on the fun.

During the entire evening throughout Rotorua, just six people were arrested. I remember the days of reporting more than 30 arrests on New Year's Eves in Rotorua.

So well done to festival organiser Tia Smith, the Rotorua Lakes Council and the event's sponsors. Rotorua is onto a winning combination.