One of New Zealand's longest-running gourmet festivals has been shelved, with organisers this week confirming the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival has been placed on hiatus after over four decades.
The 2027 festival had been scheduled for February 13, 2027, but tickets were never released for sale.
Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said the call followed "a number of difficult but necessary discussions".
"It was a hard decision, particularly given the festival's long history and the special place it holds for our industry and the many people who look forward to it each year," he said.
Pickens underlined mounting pressure on events around New Zealand.
"Events are facing an incredibly challenging time across New Zealand and we have seen those challenges reflected in the festival in recent years," he said.
"After careful consideration, it became clear that the substantial investment required to deliver the event in its current format is no longer the best fit with the organisation's wider responsibilities."
Launched by pioneering winegrowers in 1985, when the region had just four wine companies, the festival grew alongside Marlborough's rise to global recognition for sauvignon blanc.
Wine Marlborough board chairperson Tracy Johnston said the legacy of the festival mattered but members' interests came first.
"The board has carefully considered the benefits of the festival alongside the significant investment and resources required to deliver it, and our wider responsibilities to the Marlborough wine industry," she said.
"This gives us an opportunity to focus our activity on delivering value to members, while exploring alternative ways for the festival's legacy to continue."
No comments:
Post a Comment