Issue #900

by Tim Buckley, LUMA

With LUMA just around the corner and tickets selling quickly, now’s a good time to have that conversation about where we’re heading. This is the first year the ticket price has had to truly reflect the cost of the event. This is down to reduced public funding, higher costs and a need to pay contributors at realistic rates. For some, this has been hard to swallow but it really is a make-or-break year for LUMA. 2023 marks a step-change in the way we operate and the feedback we’ve had so far has been enormously supportive. For the price of a couple of beers or a movie ticket you get to experience LUMA at a new level, with international producers, artists and performers delivering a project we’ve all been working on for over a year.

This year each evening has a capacity cap to protect the Gardens and spread the crowds throughout the space. We’ve also added an extra session, which will all add up to reduced crowds, fewer queues and more space to explore. With Saturday already the most popular night of the weekend, if you’re planning to see the show, you’ll need to choose your preferred night soon or risk missing out.

We really are lucky down here in lil’ ol’ Queenstown when it comes to entertainment. We get to see national and international artists performing in our backyard, pulling together huge productions delivered to a standard not seen everywhere in New Zealand. The diversity of professions here also means we’re able to attend shows and events produced using local skills honed in film, design, sport and adventure, often without knowing what’s going on behind the scenes (usually lots).

The flip side of all this choice is that we’re all guilty of taking it for granted at times.

One of the biggest issues event producers have to deal with is the ‘Last-Minute Majority’. Yep, we’re all doing it: “I’ll get a ticket nearer the time just in case something better comes up or there’s a rerun of Friends on the telly.”

Since Covid, events are becoming more costly, more risky and more demanding on everyone involved. Suppliers who were once happy with a handshake, now need deposits or full payment. Event insurance costs the earth and compliance is now a major consideration if you’re pulling large numbers of people into one place. It’s work. Lots of work, but the results are always worth the effort. We get to see cricket matches, international DJs, live bands, plays, light festivals and all manner of world-class entertainment without even leaving the basin.

If you think events need to be part of our future here in the Southern Lakes, do yourself a favour, buy your tickets early. Use it or lose out. It’s that simple.