Festival of lights draws more than 88,000 visitors

More than 88,000 people visited the TSB Bank Festival of Lights at Pukekura Park.

And that's just based on the entrances which had counters.

According to the four foot-data collectors at park entrances within the festival route, a minimum of 2000 people went through each night.

"It's quite interesting and there were definitely peaks during Fleetwood Mac weekend, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve," New Plymouth District Council events manager Melissa Devine-Collins said.

The numbers were taken during the evenings from 6pm until 12am over a period of 44 nights from December 19 to January 31.

The festival officially finished on Sunday, but the park will remain illuminated on the weekends up until Womad, which runs March 12 to 14.

The peak night was December 20, the final concert of Fleetwood Mac at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands which saw more than 2500 people through the festival.

All of the counters showed Saturdays were definitely the busiest days, although the average over the weekend compared with the weekdays was not that different, Mrs Devine-Collins said.

"There were a few quiet nights and we checked and found the weather had impacted on those nights but you can see the peaks on the nights when there were performances like Shaun Preston and Shaskeen Reel."

She said organisers were pleased with how well the public had received the festival and performers.

"All the performers got really good crowds and the movies did as well." And while organisers were initially nervous about the new liquor restrictions on in the park during the festival, Mrs Devine-Collins said people were well-behaved and respected the rules.

"We think it was a really positive move to introduce it.

"It was only at the start where there were a few people who didn't know about it and were questioning it and once we told them they could drink on the Hatchery Lawn or on one of the other lawns they were happy to comply so there were minimal issues."

She said the liquor restrictions could become a permanent plan during the festival in the future.

- © Fairfax NZ News