11 April 2013 - 0 Comments

What makes a great music festival?

It’s the magical mix of tribes that come together – music fans united, a line-up of superstar acts and must-see newcomers, art, culture, performance, entertainment and a sense of celebration.

We had been bringing the Big Day Out to New Zealand for 18 years. When it hit its straps, there was no denying it was a great music festival. And no denying we all missed it in 2013.

“We strongly felt that there was real desire for the event to return to Auckland,” says Auckland BDO promoter Campbell Smith.

"And more than anything else that really whet the appetite. We became determined that if we could, we should bring it back. We have spent the summer working with the Australian Big Day Out team and American partners, C3, the promoters of other major festivals including Lollapolooza, on a plan to bring the BDO back to life in New Zealand.”

But this is not a resurrection. This is a brand new day. A new event for Auckland.

In January 2014 Auckland will host a multi-stage music, art and culture event created and curated specifically for its New Zealand audience. It will have its connections to the event happening over the Tasman, but it won’t be the same and it will have its links to the past, yet it will be different.

This will be something fresh and new. Something better. But we can’t call it anything else other than a Big Day Out because that is exactly what it will be. It will be Big Day Out NZ.

Try this for size:

An event produced to the highest contemporary standards – unmatched in New Zealand.

A line-up topped by some of the biggest international and local names in rock, pop, alternative, hip hop and dance music.

A broader presentation of New Zealand art and culture.

A new home – we want the Big Day Out NZ in a venue that brings a completely new vibe, creating a brilliant new environment for the enjoyment and spectacle of the country’s greatest festival. We want that home to be Western Springs Stadium and Park.

Mayor Len Brown says he would be thrilled to welcome a Big Day Out NZ back to Auckland.  “Any world class city has a constellation of events to cater for the tastes of all of its residents - young and not so young. Returning a Big Day Out to our calendar in 2014 would fill a huge hole and the proposed relocation to Western Springs would bring this significant music and culture event right into the city for residents and the thousands of visitors it draws to Auckland."

We’re back. Fresh. The Big Day Out NZ: Auckland, January 2014.

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