One Love Festival 2026 cancelled as costs hit organisers and fans

One Love Festival has announced that its 2026 event in Tauranga will not go ahead.

The organisers say New Zealand’s tough economic conditions have made it too hard to run the festival next year.

In a social media post published on Tuesday, they explained that the cost-of-living crisis is still affecting many people, and because most fans travel and stay for two days, the total cost puts pressure on household budgets.

The organisers say they were hoping the economy would improve by 2026, but that hasn’t happened.

They also say that there were other unexpected problems behind the scenes. Because of all these issues, they felt they had no choice but to pause the festival for 2026, calling it a “heartbreaking” decision.

"With the cost-of-living crisis ongoing - and more than 80 per cent of our audience travelling for two days - we know the strain this puts on household budgets. We hoped for a strong economic recovery heading into 2026, but that hasn't happened," the post read.

A huge crowd at Tauranga Domain during One Love Festival, captured from the main stage overlooking the Bay of Plenty. Photo/Facebook/One Love Festival

"Because of these factors, along with unforeseen developments behind the scenes, our team has had to make the heartbreaking decision to place One Love Festival on hold for 2026."

Earlier in the year, the organisers were confident they would reveal the festival dates and full lineup in September, but that announcement never happened.

Tuesday's post stated that they did look at running a smaller, one-day version of the festival, but decided it wouldn’t work.

Watch the late George "Fiji" Veikoso perform 'E Papa' at the One Love Festival in 2020 below.

The team says they are taking this break to rethink and plan for the future. They thanked fans for their support and said they hope to bring One Love Festival back in 2027.

"As we take this pause, please know that we are continuing to work diligently on what comes next. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2027."