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Source: ONE News -
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About 40,000 reggae music fans crammed Rotorua on Saturday for the third annual Ragamuffin festival.
New Zealand's biggest reggae music festival began at 11am with a mix of international and local acts, including Sweet and Irie, House of Shem, Sola Rosa, Katchyafire, Sean Kingston , Bob Marley's son Julian Marley, Steel Pulse, Sly and Robbie, Lauryn Hill and shaggy.
Other entertainment around Rotorua International Stadium, including stalls, markets, inflatable slides and walks through misting machines to keep the heat off, also kept the fans busy.
Bands heaved to the reggae sound throughout the day and the sun shone bar a few refreshing showers later in the afternoon.
People travelled from all over New Zealand to be part of the festival.
Aucklander Lucy Penfold, 29, says: "What a great day, with an awesome atmosphere. It's like a little piece of Jamaica come to New Zealand."
First timer Paul Donnelly, 25, from Wanganui, noted: "Everyone's been really friendly, the music is great and the atmosphere is fantastic."
Organisers were happy.
Leesa Tilley, general manager for Andrew McManus Presents, which staged the festival, says it had been a great day.
"There's been a fantastic atmosphere," she says.
"We've been very blessed that the weather has not been too hot and the bands have been very happy."
This year's event was relatively trouble-free with police and St John Ambulance reporting only minor incidents.
Rotorua police area commander Inspector Bruce Horne says a new liquor ban, enforced outside the venue and its surrounding streets, helped ensure the event ran as smoothly.
"This is the first year we've had the liquor ban in place ... it's all about changing people's behaviour," he says.
"We've been very happy with the mood of the crowd and the way the event has been organised.
"We have made a number of arrests, mainly for breaching the liquor ban and disorderly behaviour. Darryl Stretch , event co-ordinator at St John Ambulance, said it had been a good day.
"It's gone very smoothly. The temperature has not been too hot and calls have been mainly to treat people for drugs, and dehydration."
