Families have voiced their outrage after attending an Auckland Easter event, saying they were left disappointed and “ripped off” by inconsistent pricing and mould-covered rides. 

The Kumeū Easter Festival, which runs April 3-7, was marketed as a budget-friendly event at the Kumeū Showgrounds. 

The event website states the festival is run by Bites & Beats Aotearoa, with gourmet food trucks and carnival rides for all ages on offer. 

Yesterday, following the first day of the event, parents cited serious price concerns, along with their disappointment at underwhelming rides. A Bites & Beats spokesperson said pricing operated with multiple rounds of “clearly advertised online” pre-sale offers and said it would review concerns about the rides with its contractor. 

One attendee complained the event had been overhyped. 

“False advertising, they have made everyone think this is some sort of carnival with big rides and say bring the whole family,” the attendee wrote on Facebook. 

“Going to the local park with your kids is better than this.” 

Ride passes ‘inconsistently priced’ 

One eventgoer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Herald they paid $20 per person for “unlimited rides” plus an additional entry fee, while others say they paid up to $50. 

The eventgoer said the unlimited ride passes were inconsistently priced. 

“Others paid $30, $25 or $12 that we spoke to while waiting in line,” they said. 

The Kumeū Easter Festival, running from April 3 to 7, was marketed as a Budget-friendly event at the Kumeū Showgrounds. Photo / Facebook 

A community Facebook group was flooded with similar disappointment, with many warning others not to “waste” their money. 

One person wrote that there was a limited selection of rides, which included only three bouncy castles and a mini Jeep ride. 

“Once you’re there, there is no one stopping anyone from walking in, not like it’s fenced off.” 

“Even for unlimited rides, not like there is anyone checking for wristbands or paying per ride anyway,” another wrote. 

‘Mouldy’ and faulty ride claims 

The eventgoer told the Herald there was a minimal number of rides available for the high price, but also claimed the attractions were not up to standard. 

They claimed the bouncy castles were “covered in mould” and the Jeeps “kept breaking down”. 

“Everyone we interacted with were sour and said they wanted a refund,” they said. 

The attendee said they thought it was odd that there was very limited information available online when booking. 

“Event page on Facebook said to go to their website for more info, and their website said to go to the event page on Facebook. Should have been a red flag, in hindsight, but man, did they hype up the event,” they said. 

An Easter event in West Auckland has turned sour, amid complaints from attendees of the Kumeū Easter Festival that it was not worth the prices being charged. 

Another woman described the Easter event as “such a scam” in a post to its Facebook page. 

“The so-called carnival rides was a joke. A few bouncy castles and a couple of ride on cars. Do better!!!” 

A man wrote that he’d paid $70 “all for the kids to go on 1 ride”. 

Reviews planned - organiser 

A Bites & Beats spokesperson told the Herald the event operated with multiple rounds of pre-sale offers for tickets, and these were “clearly advertised online”. 

“These were structured at different price points to help manage demand and reduce wait times for rides throughout the day. As a result, pricing could vary depending on when tickets were purchased or whether they were bought online or on-site. 

“We understand that some attendees may have been confused by this, and we will be reviewing how this is communicated for future events to ensure greater clarity.” 

With rides, all equipment at the event was supplied and operated by an independent third-party contractor, the spokesperson said. 

“We expect all contractors to meet appropriate operational and safety standards. We are currently reviewing the concerns raised and will be following up directly with the contractor as part of that process.” 

The spokesperson said they took all concerns raised seriously. 

“We are always looking to improve the experience for attendees and appreciate the feedback that has been provided.”