Matariki event cancelled; trust cites competition from light show

A large community Matariki event at Stadium Southland has been cancelled, its backers saying it is too much of a risk to go ahead as a competing show is taking place a few days beforehand.

The Tūturu Charitable Trust announced yesterday it had reluctantly decided its Matariki festival would not take place next month.

It had been scheduled to be on June 20 and 21.

The trust said in a social media post a newly scheduled light show in Invercargill was set to run across the two weekends before the trust’s Matariki event.

"Sadly, the scale, timing and ticketed nature of that event makes it too challenging for us to continue without confidence in strong community turnout."

The trust said it was an incredibly difficult decision to make and one it had not taken lightly.

About 8000 people attended the first day of the inaugural festival last year and the trust had been looking forward to the event this year. But it would not now happen.

Illuminate Light and Sound Experience has chosen Invercargill to begin its South Island tour and will showcase hundreds of light and sound installations at Queens Park from early June.

Failing to get approval from the Dunedin City Council led to the decision to choose Invercargill instead, Illuminate Light and Sound Experience creative director and co-owner Philip Anderson said.

The Illuminate show would be at Queens Park, starting on June 6 and going through to June 15.

The company said the decision to go to Invercargill was also motivated by a desire to stage the show in centres often left off shows’ tour itineraries.

The show is also going to Nelson, Timaru and Christchurch.

The trust said it was sorry to let down all the schools, vendors, artists and groups who had already started preparing for the cancelled event. 

— APL