Festivalgoers fail to clean up

Empty tents, upturned gazebos and chilly-bins sit abandoned while air-beds and broken jandals litter the ground.

A new video has emerged showing the large amount of waste and camping equipment left behind after the Rhythm and Alps music festival, held in Wanaka on New Year's Eve.

Alex Turnbull, general manager of Rhythm Group Entertainment, the company behind the festival, said the mess is becoming increasingly typical of concertgoers worldwide.

''I think it's the new reality where people think that it is OK to just leave things because someone else is paid to clean it up," he said.

''I doubt after staying at your friend's place you would just drive off and leave your stuff on their front lawn.''

In a temporary city, built for 10,000 people and evacuated after 48 hours, it is inevitable that some things will get left behind, but Turnbull thinks the increasing availability of cheaper camping equipment is contributing to the growth of the mess.

''In the weeks before summer some places advertise these cheap tents specifically for music festivals and not for serving wet or windy conditions.

''They often don't last, zips break or it's too much of a hassle so it is just easier to abandon them there.''

The site has since been cleared and cleaned by local community groups and schools looking to fundraise.

''Our focus after the festival is getting it cleaned up as fast as possible and keeping the locals happy," Turnbull said.

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Festivalgoers fail to clean up