History
In 1989, a small festival named 'Mainstage' was held on a farm near Otaki, which was run by Parachute Productions. In 1992, the first 'Parachute Music Festival' was staged at El Rancho Christian Holiday Camp, Waikanae. In 1995, the festival moved north to a larger venue at Totara Springs Christian Centre, Matamata. The most recent move was in 2004 to the Mystery Creek Events Centre, just outside Hamilton. In 2008, Parachute Music signed a contract with Mystery Creek Events Centre to keep the festival at the venue for five more years. The lease will expire after the 2013 festival and after that Parachute will either re-sign with Mystery Creek or secure a new venue.
In 2010, Parachute Festival celebrated its 20th birthday with a large party at Mainstage and a fireworks display.
Mystery Creek Events Centre began a long-term major redevelopment in 2012, so limited gate access and venue space is available for the festival. For the first time in the festival's history, ticket numbers were capped off at 17,500 weekend passes. A limited number of day passes are to be released in early January 2013. After launching a festival app for Android and Apple devices in 2012, Parachute Festival will also launch technology where one can buy items at festival by scanning a festival wristband instead of paying with cash or cards in 2013.
In 2013, Parachute also restructured the festival to run as a 'three-day' event, rather than a four-day event which it has done in the past. This means that nothing will be programmed after midnight on Sunday but festival-goers will still be able to leave at their leisure on Monday.
Read more about this topic: Parachute Music Festival
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