AusLeisure

Raglan’s renowned Soundsplash Festival celebrated 20 years last weekend, with the sold-out three-day music and camping event, being held from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th January.

With a spread of local acts, the festival was staged he picturesque Wainui Reserve, just 500 metres from the beach and a short drive from some of New Zealand's best surfing spots.

The promoters of Soundsplash, which strives to create a unique environment bringing together live music, art and culture, are committed to diverting waste from landfill and are asking attendees to be conscious of what they bring into the event.

Festival Directors' Naomi Tuao and Brian Ruawai explained "our core values are about manaakitanga (kindness, respect, caring) and tautoko (support). We also have dedicated wellbeing spaces at the festival."

First presented at the Raglan Town Hall in 2001, the festival has a reputation for promoting locals acts and is popular with under 18s as they are allowed to attend without parents.

However media reports on the event have focused on lengthy queues to enter the festival as rigorous checks were made for drugs. ing for harmful substances

Commenting on the delays, Ruawai advised “other summer festivals had significant amounts of the harmful substances that are known to be circulating in the country at the moment.

"That has meant that our entry processing this year took longer.

"As festival organisers, we have a responsibility to keep our young people safe.

"Our searching processes are more rigorous this year for this very reason."

While fans had an option to drive in to the festival site, some attendees were dropped off at the Raglan Airfield where they received wristbands and got their bags checked prior to boarding buses which then took them to Wainui Reserve.

Images courtesy of Soundsplash/Facebook.

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