Tickets have already been sold to music fans aged 16 and 17, but an application to admit younger patrons has been rejected by the Auckland District Licensing Committee. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Auckland's Laneway Festival has been forced to cancel entry to under-18s at its 2025 event, despite already selling tickets to people aged 16 and 17.
An application to admit younger patrons was rejected by the Auckland District Licensing Committee, organisers said in a written statement on Friday.
"Despite the safe and successful inclusion of 16+ patrons at Laneway Festival 2024, the Auckland District Licensing Committee has rejected our application to allow 16 & 17 year olds at our 2025 event," they wrote.
Organisers said they worked closely with police, alcohol licensing inspectors, and the medical officer of health in "good faith" throughout the application process, and "did not anticipate this disappointing outcome".
"We were looking forward to providing younger audiences with the opportunity to access great live music and are truly sorry this won't be possible at the 2025 event."
Auckland teenager Huia Cameron, 17, says she is "pretty bummed" she won't be at Laneway next year - she went with a bunch of classmates in 2024 and loved it. This year's lineup included all of their favourite artists.
"I was so excited to see DJO, I've been listening to him for years, he's so cool, and obviously beabadoobee and Charli XCX and Clairo, this lineup was so good. I know my friends were really looking forward to seeing 2hollis, Elliot & Vincent would've been cool.
Huia Cameron Photo: Supplied
"I'm just pretty bummed, I think that's the word that explains it most. I understand it's not Laneway's fault, it's just kind of annoying that they couldn't get it passed."
Cameron isn't hopeful about any last-minute sideshows being arranged.
"I feel like it's too late for the artists the book sideshows, but that would've been really cool. I guess it's not really gonna happen this year.
"Festivals are great, especially international festivals, and they don't come around much for New Zealand. I was excited to go and a lot of my friends were coming, I remember sitting in class with my mates looking at the tickets in the queue. I know when the day comes I'm gonna have insane FOMO.
"I'm probably just gonna spend the refund on other concert tickets to be honest."
The Auckland District Licensing Committee told Stuff that their decision noted concerns about "security and the occurrence of preloading".
"In our view the event must remain R18 this year. If the Applicant manages intoxication well and the Agencies' post-event reports are positive, this should pave the way for an R16 event being unopposed by the Agencies next year," it said.
Cameron says Laneway 2024 was "really tame".
"I hadn't heard of anything bad happening. I mean maybe, probably, teenagers were smuggling in stuff, but I don't think there was any harm that year ... but it's a bit funny to release tickets out when you haven't actually confirmed that you can even be selling them. It's quite interesting to gamble on that, it's a big thing."
Some young fans have expressed their disappointment online.
"How can you be allowed to do this after tickets have come out? Shouldn't it be approved before heaps of people pay for tickets, hotels and flights?" one wrote on X.
Others suggested the inclusion of more sideshows, as many of the hottest billed artists (like Charli XCX) are Laneway-exlusive performances.
As the news comes just before the holiday period, under-18 ticket holders will have to wait for refunds to be issued by Ticketek between January 6 and January 18, 2025.
Hi. We bought 6 tickets (3 adult and 3 U18). We’d like all of them refunded as the purpose of the purchase was to go with our children. How do we action this?
— Techtronic (@fluroblue) December 19, 2024
there is ZERO reason you should have sold under 18 tickets without the proper permissions and licenses this is total bullshit
— beth !! (@tripledogbeth) December 19, 2024
insane that laneway festival were selling tickets to 16+ year olds when they didn’t have the license confirmed!! Like you’re gonna sell kids tickets for $200 when it wasn’t guaranteed that you could provide them a safe festival experience!!!!
— Sam (@nappingsam) December 19, 2024
