Laneway Festival NZ has delivered some disappointing news for 16- and 17-year-old fans. The festival has confirmed that under-18 tickets are no longer valid for the 2025 event after the Auckland District Licensing Committee rejected its application to include younger patrons.
Breaking the news on Instagram, organisers said, “We have some unfortunate news to share. Despite the safe and successful inclusion of 16+ patrons at Laneway Festival 2024, the Auckland District Licensing Committee has rejected our application to allow 16- and 17-year-olds at our 2025 event.”
“We worked closely with Police, Alcohol Licensing Inspectors and the Medical Officer of Health in good faith throughout the application process and did not anticipate this disappointing outcome. We were looking forward to providing younger audiences with the opportunity to access great live music and are truly sorry this won’t be possible at the 2025 event.”
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Understandably, fans are upset. Many took to social media to vent their frustration. One commenter wrote, “It’s really disappointing that this couldn’t have been sorted before tickets went on sale. So many people have already booked flights and accommodation as well as tickets, and it’s really crap to advertise a product you can’t deliver on when thousands of people have already bought the tickets.
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Others, however, felt the move was for the best. “Honestly a great decision. Y’all can wait two years. It’s not safe at all to have 16-year-olds at a festival like that,” said one commenter.
For those affected, refunds will be issued by Ticketek between January 6th and January 18th, 2025. Organisers have asked for patience during the holiday season shutdown.
The Licensing Committee’s decision highlighted concerns about “security and the occurrence of preloading” at previous events, noting that the festival must remain R18 for 2025. But they did leave the door open for future changes, stating, “If the Applicant manages intoxication well and the Agencies’ post-event reports are positive, this should pave the way for an R16 event being unopposed next year.”
The news comes as another blow for New Zealand’s summer festival season. Just days earlier, Juicy Fest announced it was cancelling its NZ dates altogether, blaming “targeted efforts” and licensing issues for the shutdown.
Despite the under-18 ticket debacle, Laneway Festival NZ is still on for February 6th, 2025, at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium. This year’s lineup is stacked with acts like Charli XCX, Clairo, Remi Wolf, and Skeggs. After Auckland, the festival will head to Australian cities, including Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
