Electric Avenue festival attracts more than 70,000 music lovers

Electric Avenue has reached uncharted waters a decade since its inception, and now stands as arguably the "biggest festival in Australasia". The tenth run of the Christchurch music festival extended to two days for the first time across Friday and Saturday, drawing more than 70,000 revellers to North Hagley Park for the event's most significant chapter yet. Organisers are already thinking bigger and better for next year, an audacious flex during a time when live music events globally are struggling to breathe.

There was a moment during Saturday's second day of Electric Avenue that may have brought a lot of satisfaction for organisers.

It was during the sun-baked main stage performance by The Kooks; thousands in unison belting out the opening verse of their single 'She Moves In Her Own Way'.

This is a band whose early-career mainstream cut-through is almost 20 years behind them.

But in the moment as the Brighton band ran through their breezy singles from their 2006 debut, it felt like an obvious piece of casting.

Even frontman Luke Pritchard appeared taken aback by how big and jubilant their turnout was.

"Wow, think we're going to have a lot of fun together, you guys are amazing."

It was a similar story a day earlier when Th' Dudes hit the "Hangar" stage to a raucous reception.

New Zealand rock royalty they are, yes.

But hearing the crowd roaring the chorus to 'Bliss' from the depths of the main stage was startling, given the abundance of Millennials and Gen-Z'ers on site.

This year's bill was easily the biggest and most expansive since the festival's inception.

And it had to be as organisers boldly committed to two days.

It was one of the primary factors as to why it attracted more than 70,000 through the gate across two days.

North Cantabrian Richard Low was one of a group of three who attended on Saturday.

He spoke of memories of iconic local festivals of yesteryear with the inclusion of established 90's titans like The Prodigy and DJ Shadow.

"There's quite a few old school DJs playing today, ones that I was grooving to at The Gathering maybe 25 years ago," he said.

His friends Dean Griffin and Peter Hatton, both originally from Birmingham, agreed that Electric Avenue was the best music festival in the country.

"Me and Pete are from the UK, so we're used to going to all those big festivals like Creamfields," Griffin said.

"The Prodigy and DJ Shadow is the stuff we grew up with.

"It's great to have a dance festival so we just gravitate towards this."

Saturday's headliners The Prodigy were a clear drawcard for many of the festival-goers RNZ spoke to, particularly those who came of age to their classic trilogy of albums in the 90s that took rave culture to the charts.

But numerous others on the 50-plus artist bill were enthusiastically referenced, highlighting how vast and eclectic an audience the promoters had courted.

Festival founder Callam Mitchell said carefully curating the line-up goes a long way.

"We try and be pretty broad in the programming and that's reflected in who attends the event.

"It's not just 18 to 25 year olds, a mix of 25 to 35, a mix of 35 to 45.

"We try and cater to everyone and I think that's reflective in the programming."

Costs 'going through the roof'

Festivals like Electric Avenue aren't cheap.

This year's event cost $12 million, with almost half the budget absorbed by artist fees and accommodation.

Rising Inflation has seen event costs around the world skyrocket to "unaffordable levels" and securing headline-worthy acts is also coming with a hefty price tag.

European Festival Report (EFR) compiles festival initiatives and data across the continent.

The editor of its 2024 report, James Drury, said there were signs that the industry was going through major upheaval.

"Audience behaviour and demands, especially among younger attendees, are changing rapidly.

"The continuing rise of stadium shows; inflation across the board while ticket prices have to be kept under control and headliner fees are rising to near unaffordable levels are all signs that this is a time of transition."

The struggle to get headline talent was a big issue, Mitchell said.

"If you look at Coachella last year they struggled to get some of the big headline artists that they have done in previous years," he said.

"A lot of those acts were off doing stadium shows and tours and probably prefer it that way where they can control every aspect of the show.

"The cost to get headline talent is going through the roof, let's face it."

Many festivals around Europe struggled to make a profit last year.

Market oversaturated

An anomaly has been a common term to describe Electric Avenue's success.

Generally speaking, music festivals down under have been falling over at a rate of knots.

Electric Avenue, on the contrary, wants to scale up.

Several New Zealand festivals have been canned for 2025, including Splore, Juicy Fest, Bay Dreams and Paradise City Rock Festival,

Next month's Homegrown will be the last time the event is held in Wellington with its future beyond 2025 unclear.

Across the Tasman, the situation is more serious.

Splendour in the Grass has been scrapped for the second consecutive year with organisers explaining that they "needed a little more time to recharge".

Other marquee festivals including Spilt Milk, the Falls festival, Harvest Rock, Groovin the Moo, and Caloundra Music Festival were no-shows last year.

Last year, Australia's live music was also put under the federal microscope with the arts minister requesting an investigation into the faltering sector.

The ABC also reported that more than a third of Australian music festivals had been losing money.

But long-standing New Zealand music promoter Brent Eccles said both the New Zealand and Australian markets had been burdened by oversaturation.

"I think the word 'festival' has been really thrashed lately.

"Personally I don't think a lot of the events that have been put up are festivals.

"They don't have an ethos about them, they're just a line-up.

"There's probably been too many in the market and I think, through natural attrition, they're falling away and the real ones are standing up... like Electric Avenue."

More expensive to tour for artists

English electronic duo and Maribou State were one of the leading names of Saturday's rundown inside the "hangar".

Their sound, which mines a similar organic and electronic zigzag to the likes of fellow Brits like Mount Kimbie and Bonobo, have only recently returned with a new album following a seven year absence.

Already they're noticing seismic shifts when it comes to touring and logistics post-Covid.

Speaking to RNZ on Saturday before taking the stage, Liam Ivory explained some artists were doing it really tough.

"It's mainly down to the finances.

"The costs of touring have just become that much more expensive.

"Even the logistics side of it, it's more difficult to move around with your crew and with your kit.

"The costs of flights are through the roof, the airlines won't take as much baggage as you need so you're having to freight your gear around which is another cost."

He added that he felt that Electric Avenue organisers had booked the pair "high up on the bill".

"It's quite stressful thinking about how difficult it is now, versus how it was a few years ago.

"It makes me think of bands who are at the level we were in 2018 and 2019 and how difficult now it would be for them.

"My heart does goes out to them because we're also finding it really challenging."

Next steps for Electric Avenue

"Nothing lasts forever but you ride it while you can."

This was Mitchell's response when RNZ asked before the weekend's festivities if the Electric Avenue "bubble could burst".

The big question following the festival's latest edition was whether the two-day format worked, and whether an expansion to South Hagley Park could ensure the event goes up yet another notch.

There were highlights aplenty on both days, from Yurt Party's hyped-up Balkan workouts to Peking Duk's arena-sized mashup of electro, pop and trance that sent thousands into delirium.

Speaking to several patrons who attended both days garnered a mixed response to the two day format, some preferring Friday's "chilled" appetizers compared to the onslaught of Saturday.

Others felt differently and that the second day was the festival's greatest ever day,

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston was spotted at Hagley Park for Electric Avenue's second day with her office saying she thought the event "was great".

RNZ understands that organisers discussed with Upston the festival's eligibility for central government funding, through its major events strategy.

But for now, and in the face of serious challenges, Electric Avenue looks ahead to 2026.

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