Residents Protest Late-Night Music Festival in Rolling Meadows

Residents in the Lower Styx Road area are expressing significant concern over the upcoming **Rolling Meadows Festival**, which is scheduled to run from **December 29, 2025**, to **January 1, 2026**, concluding nightly at **2 a.m.** A petition was launched on **Friday** by local residents demanding that festival organizers reconsider the event’s extended hours, citing noise and safety concerns.

Betty Chapman, one of the community members leading the initiative, emphasized that while they support concerts, they prefer them to occur during typical hours. “We’re concerned at the festival going on all day until 2 a.m. or later. We’re going to hear that booming bass all night,” Chapman stated. The festival will feature over **80 local and international acts** across four stages, and it has previously drawn crowds of up to **7,000** attendees during its two-day run in Waipara, North Canterbury.

This year, the festival is relocating to a new, larger **62-hectare** site at **240 Lower Styx Road**, extending its duration to three days. Chapman noted that approximately **30 properties** would be affected, with a core group of eight neighbors expressing strong opposition. The noise from the festival could potentially disturb residents as far as **Prestons** and **Burwood**, depending on the wind conditions.

Residents feel that their concerns have not been adequately addressed. Chapman recounted an encounter with a festival organizer who claimed no other complaints had been received. “I thought what the. It’s the first time I’ve ever hung up on someone in more than 10 years,” she said. Some neighbors, who typically leave for the Christmas holidays, are worried about the impact on their properties but may not voice their opposition.

In response to community concerns, concert organizers have proposed to cover alternative accommodation for residents during the festival. They also plan to hire personnel to monitor the streets, manage waste, and ensure residents’ homes are secure. However, Chapman expressed skepticism about these measures. “We don’t want to be away from our homes. Our properties won’t be safe, we won’t be safe,” she remarked.

Local city councillor **Celeste Donovan** met with residents to discuss their grievances. “About 30 people bowled up, and none of us were happy about the situation,” Chapman noted. The community is also anxious about potential traffic congestion, as the festival could attract up to **10,000** people to a narrow two-lane road. This concern is compounded by the annual New Year’s Day gala at nearby **Spencerville**, which could exacerbate traffic issues.

Chapman and her husband have lived in the area for **14 years**, having chosen it for its peaceful environment. “We would never have bought there if we knew something like this could happen,” she lamented, highlighting that many residents are retirees seeking a quiet lifestyle.

Despite the ongoing community pushback, preparations for the festival site have commenced, even though the required resource consent has not yet been granted. **Mark Stevenson**, head of planning and consents at the city council, confirmed that the council is currently reviewing a revised festival proposal and is awaiting additional information from the organizers to continue processing the application.

The festival lineup is expected to be announced on **Monday**, but the community remains divided over the event’s potential impact on their lives. The organizers have yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the residents’ concerns.