Laneway NZ No Longer Homeless

The New Zealand stop of the Australia-based, three-country Laneway Festival will return to Auckland’s Silo Park for a fifth time after all.

The event was to move to Auckland Domain in 2016 because of developments at Silo Park. But a few months ago, after nine months of negotiations, Auckland Council decided the Domain would not be available after all on Feb. 1. With limited time to find an alternative site in Auckland for the festival, which draws 12,000, Laneway promoters faced the option of accepting offers from Wellington and Christchurch.

But co-promoter Mark Kneebone said a compromise was hatched with Auckland Council.

“We are beyond happy that our old friends at Silo Park have pulled out the stops to make it possible for Laneway to return to the waterfront location for 2016,” Kneebone said.

The NZ venue was confirmed Sept. 7 as part of Laneway’s announcement of dates and venues for its other cities. It starts off Jan. 30 in Singapore at The Meadow Gardens By The Bay.

After New Zealand it heads to Harts Mill, Port Adelaide, Brisbane Showgrounds, Sydney College of the Arts, Footscray Community Arts Centre And The River’s Edge in Melbourne, and Esplanade Reserve and West End, Fremantle, Feb. 5-14. The bill will be unveiled Sept. 22.