General manager Harry Gorringe said the crowds for the festival in Cardrona Valley at the end of this month could once again expect to see the area’s biggest fireworks display and domestic and internationally recognised artists.
"Every year at R&A is special, but I encourage people to come in and check it out themselves.
"There’s 12 months of really hard work that goes into a few days," he said.
Mr Gorringe said it was exciting to have been able to put on a show every year for the crowds of people who came from all over the country.
"It is a pretty amazing spectacle which appeals to all audiences, younger people and also people who are in their 40s, 50s, 60s are turning up. I had my parents in the crowd a few years ago and they loved it.
"It’s fun work but it’s very hard work. It’s not as simple as setting up a stage and inviting people into a paddock.
"We’ve been doing it for so many years we have it all ready to go but it just has a habit of throwing you a curveball [at the] last minute," he said.
Now in his third year running the show, Mr Gorringe said his favourite part was seeing how the crowds reacted.
"A lot of changes we make on a festival level, people don’t necessarily see; it’s systematic rather than, you know, something you can actually catch a visual of," he said.
"The whole goal is to try to make the experience smoother and safer for everyone. We try to do a better job than we did last year," he said.
Mr Gorringe attributed the recurring success of the festival to those working behind the scenes.
Mr Gorringe said he could not have done it without the whole team.
"All event managers, site managers, marketing, ticketing and artist liaison as well as Alex Turnbull and his wife Misi are all firing away.
"We’re very lucky to have them and the people of Wanaka appreciate the effects of the festival.
"The site, event and security teams are the real grinders on the event days," he said.
Locals’ tickets are now available at Corner Store in Helwick St as a thank-you for their support over the past 15 years.
