Homegrown hints at bigger Hamilton return after 25,000 crowd

Homegrown is already talking bigger crowds in Hamilton after drawing as many as 25,000 people.

Organiser Andrew Tuck made the call on Sunday, while crews dismantled stages at Claudelands Oval.

Tuck said it was too early for final numbers, but the turnout sat between 23,000 and 25,000. He said the team would review the event over the next week.

Even before the debrief, Tuck said the question was no longer whether the festival worked in Hamilton. “Yes, we can increase the numbers,” he said.

How many people went to homegrown in hamilton?

The crowd estimate puts the event among the larger single-day live music gatherings held in the city. It also set a benchmark for what Claudelands Oval can handle as a festival site.

This year’s line-up included LAB, Sons of Zion, Hamilton rock band Devilskin, Six60, Katchafire, Supergroove and more. Sets ran across multiple stages, including the Jim Beam Rock Stage.

Tuck said the mood in the gates set the tone early. “The crowd came in, really happy, full of joy, big smiles, and they were well behaved through the whole night,” he said.

He said people also noticed the build and presentation. “Everybody I spoke to said the, the site looked incredible,” Tuck said.

What did police say about homegrown at claudelands oval?

Police reported a quiet night for a crowd of that size. “Police are pleased to report no major issues at Homegrown in Hamilton,” a police spokesperson said.

“Crowds were well behaved,” the spokesperson said.

The event’s organisers had promised short waits at the bar, and Tuck said it delivered. He pointed to the festival’s “beer within 60 seconds” pledge, which the team promoted ahead of Saturday.

Fast service matters for safety and comfort, because it reduces congestion around taps and walkways. New Zealand’s national guidance on crowd safety also stresses the need to manage pinch points and movement at major events.

Event organisers often use formal planning frameworks, including risk management and emergency planning standards. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment outlines responsibilities around public safety and risk in its health and safety at work information.

Why did homegrown move back to hamilton?

Tuck said the return carried personal weight, because of where the festival began. “We were proud to be in Wellington for 18 years. What many don’t know however is that our roots are right here in the Waikato,” he said.

“Homegrown began here as X-Air by the Waikato River, and like many of our team, I’m a local Hamiltonian,” Tuck said.

He described the shift as a longer-term play, not a one-off. “In many ways, this feels like a homecoming, and we’re humbled to have the support of Ngaati Wairere and Tainui in making Claudelands Oval our home for what we hope will be the next decade,” he said.

For Hamilton, the festival brought a mix of locals and visitors into the city in a single hit. It also gave the city a national spotlight, with large crowds sharing footage from multiple stages.

Tuck said that attention mattered as much as the ticket count. “The ability to do what we wanted to do, and showcase and really put Hamilton on that map, give it that pedestal to talk about, I think it did exactly that,” he said.

“It was all over media, all over socials, so it really made Hamilton stand out in a different light, which is what it's needed to do, showcase how cool it is,” he said.

What was different backstage at homegrown 2025?

Tuck said one behind-the-scenes change lifted the whole day. For the first time, the festival used a shared green room for all artists, rather than splitting acts by stage or genre.

“It's the first time they've ever had a green room together, so every genre all were in one room, and that just amped everybody up,” he said.

He said the flow of musicians in and out of the same space lifted energy before sets. “So everybody that went out there absolutely centred and it was really cool,” Tuck said.

“One band would come off [stage] high five, next one would go on and it was just a really, really good atmosphere,” he said.

That atmosphere translated to the lawn as daylight dropped, with Villainy playing into the sunset and crowds packing in for sets from acts including Hello Sailor and The Black Seeds.

Festivalgoers also made their own nights, from first-timers chasing a single headliner to regulars who knew every chorus. Bill Carroll, 58, from Hamilton, attended after seeing the bands before and said he was enjoying the atmosphere.

Will homegrown return to hamilton next year?

Tuck said the focus now shifts to improving and expanding. “Hamilton is its new home, and yeah we’re excited to come back and do something equally as exciting,” he said.

The festival’s next steps will become clearer after the organisers complete their week-long review, including what capacity increases might look like at Claudelands Oval. Another large New Zealand event, the Otago Rally, has shown how quickly major annual fixtures can scale when organisers lock in sponsors and logistics.

Tuck said his team had just finished the hard part of this year’s job, pulling the stages down and packing gear out of the oval. Planning for the next Hamilton Homegrown begins this week.