First launched in 2015 by Flying Nun co-owner Ben Howe, the festival evolved over the decade from a hodgepodge collection of venues to a full-blown block party, with more than 3,000 attendees and US singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten as its headliner last year.<\/p>\n
But \u201cdelivering an independent boutique festival on the smell of an oily rag\u201d had been \u201cextremely hard\u201d, organiser Reuben Bonner said in a statement<\/a> announcing the news, with the potential for organisers to go \u201cbankrupt if this goes wrong\u201d. \u201cIn short, the magnificent joy received from delivering The Others Way is outweighed by the sheer financial strain and emotional toll it takes on us to deliver,\u201d Bonner said.<\/p>\n But just as fans of The Others Way came to terms with the news, a small glimmer of hope appeared this afternoon in the form of Auckland Central MP Chl\u00f6e Swarbrick, who told The Spinoff she was already working to \u201crevive\u201d the festival.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve actually been heavily involved with this over the last few days,\u201d Swarbrick said from parliament. \u201cI have been engaged with the mayor\u2019s office and directly with Reuben [Bonner], who\u2019s behind the festival.\u201d The situation was \u201cactively evolving\u201d, Swarbrick said. The mayor\u2019s office has confirmed to The Spinoff that Swarbrick\u2019s office had been in touch.<\/p>\n Money troubles aren\u2019t a new issue for the festival. Covid-19 lockdowns saw The Others Way cancelled in 2020 and 2021, and organisers received funding from Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (now known as T\u0101taki Auckland Unlimited) to cover their losses. It was a \u201creal blow\u201d, booking agent Sam Harman told Flying Nun<\/a> in early 2021. \u201cFinancially, The Others Way doesn\u2019t make a huge amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n The festival has tried to explore new modes of funding, such as sponsorships and funding partners. But, \u201cwe haven\u2019t been able to secure the secret formula to deliver the festival in a way that meets both our standards and our financial obligations\u201d, Bonner said in the statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to express deep, deep gratitude to everyone who has been part of The Others Way journey,\u201d he continued. \u201cYou are the reason this festival meant something real. For the love of god, if you have the means to, go out and buy a ticket today. To an independent artist\u2019s show run by an independent promoter at an independent venue. It\u2019s a wild time out there in the current music industry landscape of Aotearoa, and a lot of us are fighting to survive.\u201d<\/p>\nAuckland Central MP Chl\u00f6e Swarbrick at K Road\u2019s Verona in 2023 (Photo: Toby Manhire)<\/p>\n
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory headlined The Others Way 2025 (Photo: Den\/Red Raven News)<\/p>\n