Laneway bound for Albert Park

St Jerome’s Laneway festival is destined for Auckland’s Albert Park, festival promoters confirmed on Thursday.

Described as ‘‘a dream location’’ the one-day Indie music event will kick off in the heart of Auckland city, with the University of Auckland and CBD a mere stone’s throw away.

Organisers said that the new space, described as Albert Park Precinct, was their original location of choice, back in 2010 when the festival launched in Auckland’s Britomart.

‘‘Nine years ago, the council made it pretty clear (it wasn’t going to happen in Albert Part), but I think Laneway has become a more serious entity,’’ festival co-promoter Mark Kneebone said.

‘‘There are about 4500 people that travel from out of town to the festival, I don’t think they wanted it moving to another city. It’s become a cultural landmark for Auckland,’’ he said.

For the past four consecutive years, Laneway has been held in Silo Park, Wynyard Quarter, however promoters said the festival simply ‘‘outgrew’’ the space.

‘‘Laneway Festival is as much about the environment as it is about the music and this new site allows us to deliver everything we know our guests need for a great festival experience,’’ Kneebone said.

The inner-city park, that will be accessed by punters on January 30 via Princes St, will house four individual stages.

‘‘It’s not going to effect Queen St at all,’’ he said. ‘‘The only street that will be closed is Princes St. I think the way we’ve designed the festival means there will be minimal disruption.

‘‘The University of Auckland, and the Auckland Art Gallery and other surrounding businesses have been fantastic. The University wanted to be reassured that students will have an uninterrupted day, the university will remain open. Obviously, there won’t be any lectures on the public holiday.’’

Aside from providing music lovers with plenty more room to groove, the new site offers Laneway punters a ‘‘bigger range of bespoke food and bar options, and of course the abundant grass and shade that Albert Park offers.’’

‘‘The new site is 70 per cent bigger. But despite the increase and for comfort’s sake, we are keeping the crowd capacity the same,’’ he said.

In January, the event played host to 12,000 festival-goers. Laneway Festival will be on Auckland Anniversary Day, Monday January 30, 2017.

‘‘The new site is 70 per cent bigger’’