From the 1960’s through to the ‘90s, New Zealanders were often lucky enough to attend music festivals and raves in spectacular locations – like beaches and forests. The magic of dancing deep in the forest with friends is the stuff of legend.
In early April 2017 UK-based electronic pioneers Underworld headlined a brand-new, boutique music festival amongst the trees of Woodhill. ORO17 featured amazing music, surreal lighting, gourmet food, and art installations. The event boasted a uniquely Kiwi flavour, being staged in partnership with local iwi and owners of the land Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara.
Obviously, a dance festival in a forest can pose various safety risks and Safety First (HSW) were extremely proud to be the health and safety provider for this unique festival event, ensuring that all proper precautions were taken. Festival numbers were capped at 6000 for safety reasons, and a water dam was built to mitigate fire risks.
Safety First created the health and safety plans for the event and provided H&S advice and support to the organisers, including the creation of large signs for safety notices. The ORO festival was a huge success with a full moon, and thousands of happy revellers enjoying a safe, well-organised event.
We are proud of our involvement with this event, our second in Woodhill recently following the Rescue Run last year.