“As a tight-knit team, we and the whole arts and events community mourn the loss of a mentor and close friend.”
Balkum was also a co-founder of production company YOOCrew, which paid tribute to him on social media after his death.
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts we announce the passing of our partner, friend, colleague, and rock, Nicholas (Nic) Balkum.
“Nic was more than a friend, he was our brother and our loss is immeasurable.”
Originally from the US, Balkum relocated to New Zealand in 2014 and established himself as a skilled rigger and technician. YOOCrew described him as “a pillar of the entertainment community”.
“He was involved in many areas of the industry, from theatre, events, and entertainment, to film, circus, and aerial performance,” YOOCrew said.
“His calm, amicable, and approachable demeanour meant he made a lot of friends everywhere he went.”
His credits over the years include Cirque du Soleil, The Guttersluts and The Brotherhood of Stage Pirates.
YOOCrew said Balkum died while working on a Wow show that was “central to his being”, and it thanked emergency services and organisers for their response.
“We thank Wow for their incredible support and care of our family and team during this time, and wish to acknowledge the hard and supportive decisions made by them in relation to the ongoing shows following his passing.”
Wow chief executive Meg Williams said the event’s crew had been deeply affected by the loss as she announced the cancellations, describing the decisions as made in an “exceptional set of circumstances”.