09 February 2022 - 0 Comments

Organisers of Wellington’s annual Kiwi music festival, Jim Beam Homegrown are cancelling their event due to run on 19th March, 2022.

“We were hoping to give ourselves as much of a chance as possible to run, but with the information and guidance we’ve had over the past few days, it has become apparent we will need to cancel this year’s event”, says Managing Director Andrew Tuck.

Jim Beam Homegrown attracts 22,500 plus festival goers and was on target for another early sell-out despite the current COVID climate. Organisers are offering to refund or roll over tickets to the 2023 event.

“We have been blown away by the incredible support in these crazy times and we’re hoping by calling it early people won’t lose out too much on their flights and accommodation”, explains Tuck.

This is only the second time in 15 years the event hasn’t been able to run, cancelling the first time in 2020 at the very start of New Zealand lockdowns.

“We’re devastated, we thought at the start of summer we were going to sneak through, but it feels right to call it now for everyone’s safety, Also, now we can take a breath and regroup and see how we can make next year’s event even better”, says Tuck.

Organisers say they are engaging in The Events Transition Support Scheme to help facilitate support for artists and suppliers affected by the cancellation.

Tuck says, “We are just working through the logistics of the Government Insurance Scheme now. Hopefully, it will lessen the blow for our suppliers and artists. It’s a really tough time for everyone in the events industry and our hearts go out to everyone affected”.

Comments

Return to News Archive