No passouts for Gathering say organisers
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Partygoers will not be allowed to come and go from the four-day New Year dance party the Gathering, unless they buy a new $160 ticket to get back in.
The decision not to allow people to re-enter the event at Upper Takaka was made for safety and logistical reasons, one of the organisers, Beck Foulkes, said today.
Ms Foulkes said the Gathering was legally allowed to reserve the right of admission.
"People are welcome to leave, but they won't be allowed back in again."
She said that if people were keen enough to re-enter, they could buy a new ticket.
The gates to the site will open at noon on December 30. The party will start on December 31 and will finish at noon on January 3. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend.
Ms Foulkes said it would be a "nightmare" to control the event if people were constantly coming and going.
Organisers also needed to know who and how many people were there in case of an emergency.
There were also security concerns, she said. It would be "easier for people to sell bad drugs, steal stuff and duplicate tickets" if partygoers were allowed to come and go.
Alcohol is banned at the Gathering, and all cars are searched before entering. Ms Foulkes said it would be impossible to uphold this policy if hundreds of cars were going in and out.
"It would be a nightmare for security - it's a hard enough job as it is."
Gathering tickets carry a warning that partygoers will not be allowed passouts, as was the case at all previous Gatherings.
Ms Foulkes said there would be little reason for people to leave the event, as most services were provided, including 70 food stalls and eftpos facilities.