The Company Behind NZ’s Cancelled ‘Echo’ Festival Has Gone Into Liquidation

The promotion company responsible for New Zealand’s cancelled Echo Festival – previously known as the McLaren Falls Music & Arts Festival – has gone into voluntary liquidation.

The promoters have issued the following statement on the event’s official website:

“After a long and what now seems pointless struggle it is with deep disappointment we must announce that it has been resolved to place the festival’s promoting company into liquidation.

“The festival and its advisers have been trying hard to identify an effective way to provide the project with a future and at the same time recover from the huge losses sustained over the last few months, but it is deemed that the task is too great.” 

It’s done little to alleviate punters’ fears about getting their tickets refunded. The promoters’ statement continues:

“We recognise there are still some people waiting for ticket refunds. The arrangements around this process have been fraught with problems and todays development does little to alleviate that situation in the immediate term. We are deeply sorry for that. The liquidators will be continuing the work here to resolve any outstanding issues. We are offering the liquidators as much assistance as we possibly can. All creditors will be contacted.”

As The Music Network reports, ticketing agency Eventopia reckons it’s still waiting for the festival to “return the funds” so it can make refunds, and has complained of “a lack of communication” from the promoters.

In an email to patrons, it also added: “It has now taken far too long and this is completely unacceptable”.

In the wake of the slow refunds, the New Zealand Entertainment Operators Association has gotten involved, and is expected to make a push for better regulation of new promoters and online ticketing agencies across the ditch.

The organisation previously released a statement in response to the whole Echo fest shamozzle, saying:

“New Zealand is one of the last bastions of free enterprise when it comes to promoting entertainment events,” it said. “There is no regulation in this country to prevent anyone with the dream of successful event promotion from proceeding, selling through unknown or un-tested ticket companies, or from using ticket revenues paid in advance for their own purposes.”

Echo Fest – which promised to bring a taste of Glastonbury and Coachella to New Zealand’s shores – was scheduled to take place across the weekend of the 10th, 11th and 12th January at McLaren Valley, featuring artists such as Disclosure, The Flaming Lips, Alison Wonderland, Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Preatures and New Zealand’s own The Chills.

Its cancellation was blamed on poor ticket sales.

Read the full statement from the Echo Fest promoters, below.