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THREE KEY FACTS

• Laneway Festival is no longer able to host under-18s at its 2025 event after its application was rejected by Auckland District Licensing Committee.
• The festival hosted 16- and 17-year-old fans in 2024 by setting up designated alcohol-free zones.
• Under-18s have slammed the decision as “unfair”, with many now out of pocket after paying for flights and accommodation.
• The dream of fulfilling a “Brat summer” fantasy in February is sadly no longer for under-18s, with Auckland’s Laneway Festival confirming 16- and 17-year-old ticket-holders are no longer able to attend.

Ticket-holders under the age of 18 are no longer able to attend the highly anticipated Laneway Festival in February following a decision from Auckland District Licensing Committee, which many have branded “unfair” and “ridiculous”.

The annual festival, set to be held on February 6 at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium, was able to accommodate 16- and 17-year-old fans at its 2024 event earlier this year with designated alcohol-free zones.

But in a statement issued to social media on Friday morning, organisers of the festival confirmed that will no longer be the case in 2025, with the Auckland District Licensing Committee rejecting its application to allow under-18s at the event.

The decision comes after tickets had already been sold, leaving some punters “heartbroken”.

“We have some unfortunate news to share. Despite the safe and successful inclusion of 16+ patrons at Laneway Festival 2024, the Auckland District Licensing Committee has rejected our application to allow 16- and 17-year-olds at our 2025 event,” the organisers said in a statement to Laneway Festival NZ’s Instagram and X accounts.

“We worked closely with Police, Alcohol Licensing Inspectors and the Medical Officer of Health in good faith throughout the application process and did not anticipate this disappointing outcome. We were looking forward to providing younger audiences with the opportunity to access great live music and are truly sorry this won’t be possible at the 2025 event.”

Ticketek will be issuing refunds to all under-18 ticket-holders, which will be processed between January 6 and January 18 due to the shutdown period.

“We’re incredibly grateful for your understanding, and we hope to welcome you to future Laneway Festival events,” the statement concluded.

The Herald has contacted Laneway Festival and Auckland Council for further comment.

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The response to the decision has been mixed. While punters aged 18 and over have largely welcomed the move, many others – including parents and siblings of under-18s – have castigated organisers for selling the tickets prior to the council’s decision.