Take note: Electric Avenue is raising the standard for festivals in Aotearoa

Holy smokes. I was absolutely floored when I first saw the lineup for Electric Avenue earlier this morning. Kings of Leon, Kasabian, Calvin Harris, Kehlani, Major Lazer, Bebe Rexha, Jungle. This is the most impressive New Zealand festival lineup I can recall since the days of Big Day Out. What a time to be a music fan in Aotearoa.

And it's in Christchurch! The garden city has undergone a process of revitalisation, development and re-characterisation since the ill-fated quakes of 2011. Last time I was there in 2024, the place was humming. I'm sure it still is. Electric Avenue has been a mainstay event in Christchurch for a number of years now, although the ambition and scale the forthcoming iteration is on a whole new level.

On that, I'm always droning on about ambition and commercial aptitude in the music industry. New Zealand traditionally is challenged by skepticism and ever discussed tall poppy culture. Electric Avenue has really given me jolt. Self proclaimed as Australisia's biggest music festival. I'm fully sat up, and I have to say - I take my hat off to you. This is the kind of tenacity Aotearoa needs. Pulling a lineup of this scale together is no easy task. I'm sure there have a magnitude of challenges to make it happen. For the rest of NZ, we need to get inspired by what has been achieved.

Auckland hosted Big Day Out for years at Mt Smart Stadium and later at Western Springs. With the redevelopment of Western Springs coming together as Western Springs Bowl, is there room for a festival of this scale in our largest city? And who would take it on? I'm sure many of us are somewhat familiar with some of the challenges promotors have faced in recent years. Logistically, how did Electric Ave manage to bring such iconic names to our part of the world? I don't have the answers. I just know that I am so excited for this event - it makes be proud to be a New Zealander.

What else? The event has created a platform for local talent. Numerous artists we've featured on Empty Spaces have been named on the lineup - Louis Baker, Steffany Beck, The Response, Pheobe Vic and Amber Carly Williams. It's an incredible opportunity for the acts to share the lineup alongside such global names. Put that on your resume! Kudos to Electric Ave. Love to Christchurch. The future is bright.