It will continue to be run by Taft, formerly the Taranaki Arts Trust, which has presented the festival for 20 years, the council has said. Taft pulled out as production partners last year, after an attempt to get an underwrite from the government was unsuccessful and it risked losing $3.5 million. Councillors will consider whether or not to approve an underwrite of up to $1.9 million to Taft to protect the organisation from a pandemic-related cancellation of the three-day festival on May 25.
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The three-day festival will return to the TSB Bowl of Brooklands next year. Novotel New Plymouth general manager Jayesh Bala said he d like to see the underwrite approved, as the festival was a boon for Taranaki.