Dazzling fireworks and laser displays to light up Rotorua on New Year’s Eve

ROTORUA: 10 December 2014: The best fireworks display ever staged in Rotorua is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the inner city lakefront this New Year’s Eve for a big night of family-friendly celebrations.

Extra effort is being put into creating two massive fireworks displays – one to be held at 9:15pm and the other at midnight – to welcome 2015 in style.

Rotorua Lakes Council’s Inner City Revitalisation lead, Councillor Karen Hunt, said she was expecting a lot of families to come into town this year.

“They’ll be keen to be part of the atmosphere and celebrate the New Year in a fun, safe environment.

“We don’t want the little ones to miss out on seeing the fireworks – that’s why we’re staging an early display at 9:15pm as well. The whole town will be buzzing over the New Year period.”

Council events manager Martin Croft says two local companies, Audio Visual Techniques and Laser Events, will combine forces to create some magic in the sky above Lake Rotorua.

“We definitely want those ‘wow’ moments. Incorporating lasers to complement the fireworks will add an extra spark to what is already one of the best displays in the country,” Mr Croft says. “It will give people a different experience and something they haven’t seen before.

Local residents and visitors to Rotorua will have four days of superb entertainment to look forward to over the New Year’s holiday. Rotorua will stage its annual GLO Festival from Dec 30th to January 1st, followed by a live concert featuring Fat Freddy’s Drop at the lakefront on January 2nd.

“Our GLO Festival will be very family-focussed,” Mr Croft says. “There’ll be amusement park rides set up near the main lakefront stage, and we’ll be highlighting local talent and providing a range of great entertainment to suit everyone’s tastes.”

The free festival kicks off at 6pm on December 30th with ‘The Hits Flicks’ – an outdoor movie night under the stars which Mr Croft hopes will attract up to 4000 people to Rotorua’s lakefront.

On New Year’s Eve, New Zealand’s own boy band, Titanium, will join a long list of talented performers and local stars for the ‘Party In The Park’, followed by the two impressive fireworks displays.

And on New Year’s Day, the popular ‘1st Big Brunch’ will once again draw people back for a relaxing picnic on the Village Green from11am-2pm.

“This will be the third year we’ve held the 1st Big Brunch. It’s a great way to unwind from the night before and an easy way to start the New Year,” Mr Croft says. “People can bring a picnic, sit and listen to live music and hopefully win some fantastic spot prizes while they’re there.”

The following day, January 2nd, legendary Kiwi band Fat Freddy’s Drop will perform, supported by international reggae stars Meta & The Cornerstones, 10 piece band Hipstamatics playing remixes of iconic songs in their own unique, funky style, dub act ManaLion, soul and R&B act The Boom Cat, and local heroes Strangely Arousing.

Tickets are on sale now at eventfinder.co.nz and locally at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre, MusicWorks and the Rotorua i-SITE General admission is $49 but children under 12 are free. VIP marquee tickets are also available for $95 where people can enjoy the best views of the lakefront stage plus their own exclusive bar and toilets.

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