Twisted marked its 10-year anniversary last summer with a strong turnout, selling nearly 3,500 tickets, but Tait said it was not enough to clear its ongoing IRD debt. New Year's festival Twisted Frequency has sold about 1000 fewer tickets than last summer's event. Photo / Twisted Frequency FestivalCompounding operational costs have driven ticket prices to $500 this year, and without a significant turnaround in sales or new funding sources, Tait said the festival’s 2026 event will be its final edition. In interviews published on Twisted Frequency’s website, Tait and the organisers of independent festivals Shipwrecked and Aum criticised the Government’s approach to events funding, arguing it favours large, commercial events over grassroots festivals. “Throughout its life, Twisted has yet to receive a single dime or any kind of funding, and that is not for lack of trying,” Tait said.

Source: New Zealand Herald December 28, 2025 10:18 UTC