Latest news with #SteampunkNZFestival
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Festival volunteers running out of steam
Goggle-festooned top hats, leather corsets and ray guns may have had their last hurrah in the steampunk capital of New Zealand. The volunteers behind Oamaru's five-day Steampunk NZ Festival say they are running out of steam and, without reinforcements, its 16th iteration this month could have been its last. Steampunk NZ Festival organising committee member Carolyn Lewis said the growing popularity of the festival was evident when talking to crowds in Oamaru's Victorian Precinct at the main parade event, held over King's Birthday Weekend, because many first-timers said they had already booked accommodation to come back as full participants next year. "I'm left thinking, we're going to need a bigger precinct. "We're looking at an event which, year-on-year, is getting bigger — 50% more ticket holders this time, not counting the extra people coming to watch, most of whom are from out of town — and a very small core group that actually makes it happen. "We're all getting old and broken. We're getting to that point when we have to sort of work out how it's sustainable going forward. "It's two very different things. We've got ticketed events which pay for everything else and then we've got free community events — and that's what costs us. "It's a big job in the setup and a situation where only people who can take two weeks off work beforehand can do it. "I don't think people realise how much is out-of-towners coming here, putting the money into the town on the backs of a very few local people who are doing hard yards." The event does not receive any outside funding from the government or the Waitaki District Council. The funding that is sometimes labelled for the Steampunk Festival is usually only for promotion, most recently a $10,000 government grant to Tourism Waitaki to promote it. "It doesn't help us at all," Ms Lewis said. "It's like inviting folks to dinner and expecting someone else to feed them." Festival chairwoman Lea Campbell said organising the event was getting more complex and tiring. "Because we do everything. "We do the admin, and the planning, and the making, and the doing, and the setting up, and we take the tickets, and some of us get up on stage as well, and then we pack down and we clean up afterwards. "We're now one week post-festival and we're still packing up and we ache. "I can't do next year the same way." The festival has also outgrown its storage and workshop underneath an Oamaru funeral home, and a permanent steampunk exhibition space is on the wish list. The festival's website now features a "come help" message for Oamaru residents.
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Funding boost from govt for 19 southern events
The South has been awarded just under $400,000 to help fund 19 different events, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced last week. The government is driving economic growth in the regions by investing $2.6 million in 152 regional events across New Zealand. Mrs Upston said she was thrilled with the variety of exciting events on offer, encouraging more New Zealanders to enjoy and explore New Zealand beyond the main centres. Events to get money in the South include Warbirds Over Wanaka, which received $50,000, the Steampunk NZ Festival which got $10,000 while $39,750 had been given to the Challenge Wānaka Festival of Triathlon 2026. Challenge Wānaka was under pressure to hold its event this year because of a lack of entries but managed to go ahead. It received a boost earlier this month when the event in February would also double as the New Zealand middle distance triathlon championship, making it an official qualifying event for the 2026 World triathlon multisport championships. Mrs Upston said investing in these events had a direct impact, with visitors spending money in local cafes, businesses and accommodation providers, driving economic activity in communities. "By growing regional tourism, our remote and rural communities can benefit from the economic opportunities it brings,'' she said. Events were excellent drawcards to get more visitors into the regions, particularly in quieter parts of the year. "New Zealand is open for business, and we encourage both Kiwis and international visitors alike to explore and enjoy what New Zealand has to offer." Funding comes from the $5m Regional Events Promotion Fund, which has so far invested in 284 regional events. Funding recipients Clutha $10,000 to The Magnificent Adventure Race Enterprise Dunedin $8643 to 2025 Port Chalmers Seafood Festival $40,000 to 2026 New Zealand Masters Games $10,000 to Emersons Dunedin Marathon $30,000 to The Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival $25,000 to Wild Dunedin — NZ Festival of Nature Great South $16,000 to Burt Munro Challenge 2026 $20,000 to NZ Premier Motorsport Summer Series, Next Gen Round 4 $5000 to Rakiura Rhyme Machine Festival 2025 $22,000 to The Shepherdess Muster 2026 $30,000 to Tussock Country – NZ Country Music Festival 2026 Lake Wanaka Tourism $15,000 to Aspiring Conversations 2026 $39,750 to Challenge Wanaka Festival of Triathlon 2026 $15,000 to Merino Muster Ski Marathon $10,000 to NZ Mountain Film and Book festival $50,000 to Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow Tourism Central Otago $8643 to Alexandra Blossom Festival $14,000 to The 70th New Zealand GrandPrix — round 5 Tourism Waitaki $10,000 to Steampunk NZ Festival — APL
Otago Daily Times
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Steampunkers converge for festival
Oamaru's annual Steampunk Festival goes back in time this weekend, boosting the town's tourism appeal in the process. Steampunk NZ Festival organising committee member Carolyn Lewis said this year's "Circus in Time" theme combined flamboyance and the spectacle of the circus with adventures in time. "Time travel is an iconic Steampunk theme. "The Victorian Era is a key time period for Steampunk fans, and the Victorians absolutely loved a circus — it was an accessible form of entertainment, with the sideshows and associated activities being hugely popular across all classes. "Most of the tickets sold thus far for this year's festival have gone to out-of-towners, including a good chunk of North Island folk. "We also have overseas visitors from Australia and the US." Steampunkers Sir Gideon Steamcrank (Gearlord of the Twisting Spires) aka Carl Yates and James Brian said they were coming to Steampunk weekend with a group from Christchurch. "There is a French girl in our group and an Australian couple who were married in Steampunk and they have come over to be part of the festival for their honeymoon," Mr Brian said. He had been attending the Oamaru Steampunk festival for the past 15 years. Mr Brian had travelled to other Steampunk events around the world including in England, Germany and the Netherlands. He believed the Oamaru event was "world class". Mr Yates said he was a "newbie" attending the festival for the fourth time this year and he was excited for the upcoming event. "We look forward to meeting all the creative, imaginative and eccentric people at the festival," Mr Yates said. The Heritage Precinct in Oamaru was a major factor in the success of the festival, Ms Lewis said. The five-day festival began yesterday and will continue over the King's Birthday weekend to Monday. Tourism Waitaki consumer and trade marketing manager Jade Harvey said the town was generally booked out, with cafes busy and motels full. "Accommodation is usually fully or almost booked out on Steampunk weekend with approximately 90% of attendees visiting from outside of Waitaki with the post-event survey showing that 80% stay for three nights or more. "Although the festival is concentrated in Oamaru, the majority of attendees are from out of town and are choosing to stay for most, if not all, of the long weekend."
Otago Daily Times
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Festival mixes spectacle of circus with time travel
PHOTO: ODT FILES Oamaru's annual Steampunk Festival goes back in time this weekend, boosting the town's tourism appeal in the process. SteampunkNZ Festival organising committee member Carolyn Lewis says this year's "Circus in Time" theme combines flamboyance and the spectacle of the circus with adventures in time. "Time travel is an iconic Steampunk theme. The Victorian Era is a key time period for Steampunk fans, and the Victorians absolutely loved a circus — it was an accessible form of entertainment, with the sideshows and associated activities being hugely popular across all classes. "Most of the tickets sold thus far for this year's festival have gone to out-of-towners, including a good chunk of North Island folk. We also have overseas visitors from Australia and the US." The Heritage Precinct in Oamaru is a major factor in the success of the festival, she said. The five-day festival began yesterday and continues over the King's Birthday weekend to Monday. Tourism Waitaki consumer and trade marketing manager Jade Harvey says the town is generally booked out, with cafes busy and motels full. "Accommodation is usually fully or almost booked out on Steampunk weekend with approximately 90% of attendees visiting from outside of Waitaki with the post-event survey showing that 80% stay for three nights or more. "Although the festival is concentrated in Oamaru, the majority of attendees are from out of town and are choosing to stay for most, if not all, of the long weekend." — APL
