Cocktail festival Highball has been cancelled for 2022, with organisers citing low ticket sales and pressures on the hospitality sector among the reasons.

In a statement, the Wellington Culinary Events Trust (WCET) says that it has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s festival, which was scheduled to take place in the capital from 23-24 September 2022.

Established in 2019, Highball has been an up-and-coming festival for the WCET, which is the not-for-profit trust behind the highly successful Visa Wellington On a Plate (VWOAP) and Beervana events.  

WCET says the festival was cancelled for a number of reasons, including low ticket sales and current pressures on the hospitality sector.  

It says that the legacy of Beervana and VWOAP has meant another strong year for its two biggest events, despite ongoing challenges for the events and hospitality industry.  

The WCET says that it will continue working with the hospitality industry to align Highball with other VWOAP activities in 2023.