Residents Demand Change as Music Festival Plans 2am Finish

Residents of Lower Styx Rd are voicing their concerns over the upcoming Rolling Meadows music festival, scheduled to run from December 29, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The three-day event, which will feature more than 80 local and international acts across four stages, is set to conclude nightly at 2am. A petition launched by community members calls for the festival’s hours to be adjusted to more reasonable times.

Betty Chapman, a resident and one of the petition organizers, expressed frustration regarding the festival’s late hours. She emphasized that while the community supports concerts, they expect them to occur within standard daytime hours. “We’re concerned at the festival going on all day until 2am or later. We’re going to hear that booming bass all night,” Chapman stated.

The Rolling Meadows festival previously attracted up to 7,000 attendees during its two-day format in Waipara, North Canterbury. This year, organizers plan to expand the event to three days at a new 62-hectare site located at 240 Lower Styx Rd. Chapman noted that about 30 properties in the area would be affected, with concerns raised by a core group of eight neighbours.

Noise from the festival, combined with potential traffic congestion, has heightened anxiety among residents. “We’re going to have up to 10,000 people in the area on a very narrow two-lane road,” Chapman said, referencing the additional traffic expected from the annual New Year’s Day gala at nearby Spencerville. “How are we going to cope with all that bumper-to-bumper traffic?”

The community’s dissatisfaction extends beyond noise and traffic. Chapman described an inadequate consultation process, stating that the only outreach came from one festival organizer who spoke with her husband while she was away. “I thought, what the… It’s the first time I’ve ever hung up on someone in more than 10 years,” she said.

To address concerns, concert organizers have proposed compensating residents for alternative accommodation during the festival and hiring personnel to manage the area, including litter collection and security. Despite these offers, Chapman and her neighbours remain reluctant to leave their homes. “We don’t want to be away from our homes. Our properties won’t be safe, we won’t be safe,” she asserted.

Discontent among residents prompted a meeting with Celeste Donovan, the Coastal Ward city councillor, where approximately 30 residents expressed their grievances. “None of us were happy about the situation,” Chapman remarked. Many residents, particularly retirees, moved to the area seeking a peaceful lifestyle and feel that the festival threatens that tranquility.

Preparations for the festival site are already underway, despite the resource consent not yet being granted. Mark Stevenson, head of planning and consents at the city council, confirmed that officials are currently reviewing a revised proposal for the event. He stated that they are awaiting further information from the applicants to continue processing the application.

As anticipation builds for the festival, which is expected to announce its lineup on Monday, local residents remain vigilant in their efforts to raise awareness about their concerns. The outcome of the petition and the council’s review process will likely determine the future of the Rolling Meadows festival as it approaches its launch date.