December 01, 2021
Rhythm & Vines threat to Tairāwhiti
Tūranga iwi are upset Rhythm and Vines is keeping locals in the dark on whether the massive festival will go ahead.
Pene Brown from Te Aitanga a Māhaki says iwi don’t want to see up to 30,000 extra people in Tairāwhiti when the rohe still has the lowest vaccination rate in the country.
He says there has been no contact from organisers and no guidance from the government.
“The DHB and our local Gisborne District Council would need to know earlier rather than later and it is going to be disappointing if we know nothing until December 15 (when the Auckland border opens),” Mr Brown says.
Other festivals around the country have already cancelled.