'Mongrel Mob Fest': Juicy Fest Wellington Marred By Gang Presence And Arrests

The Juicy Fest music festival — celebrated as the southern hemisphere's premier hip-hop and R&B event — took Wellington by storm over the weekend (Jan. 5).

According to NZ Herald, however, the festivities were marred by incidents of intoxication, disorder, and assaults involving suspected gang members.

As the festival moved from Christchurch to Wellington, despite a “largely well-behaved” crowd of around 15,000 at Lower Hutt’s Hutt Park, incidents of intoxication, disorder, and assault marred what was meant to be an epic day of tunes.

The festival, headlined by major artists like Keri Hilson, T.I, T Pain, Mario, Trey Songz, Bone Thugs N Harmony, The Game, Ashanti, Fabolous, Mase and YG, encountered disruptions both inside and outside the venue.

Ashanti looking fab in pink , comfy, rested and fly. She said he likes to put his body on me”😁And we can say baby baby baby…….Day2 juicy fest 2024 NZ. #ashanti #nelly #nellyandashanti #juicyfest2024 #newyear #concert pic.twitter.com/kfvc3O8lyw

— 1212 Stories (@Eby_darl) January 5, 2024

Outside the Juicy Fest venue, police reported “several incidents” of disorderly behaviour, intoxication, and assault involving suspected gang members.

A police officer was struck with a bottle, resulting in minor injuries and the subsequent arrest of an individual. Six additional arrests were made for fighting and disorderly conduct.

“Police had a strong presence to address any issues. Officers dealt with several reports of intoxication, disorder, and assault involving people outside the event, including suspected gang members, and one police officer suffered minor injuries after being hit with a bottle, leading to the arrest of one man,” police said.

The grievances didn’t end there, with one punter telling NZ Herald that the event should have been named “Mongrel Mob Fest”.

“We were disgusted by what I think of more as Mongrel Mob Fest, not Juicy Fest, and felt horrible about the whole thing,” he told the publication, claiming that there were “dozens” of what he described as Mongrel Mob gang members in the $999 per ticket VVIP (Very, Very Important Person) section.

“[The police said] things [were] happening outside the event but it was very much inside as well, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who is very disappointed to have paid a lot of money to go to what ended up being a big gang party.”

Another unnamed punter told the publication of seeing a confrontation between the Mongrel Mob and another gang in the GA section of the crowd, saying: “They were getting in each other’s face, throwing gang signs and yelling at each other. Police swooped in pretty fast and broke it up.”

Enquiries into the incidents outside the venue are being investigated.

Juicy Fest's tour has since continued with performances at Bay Park in Tauranga, North Harbour Stadium in Auckland after the shows in Christchurch and Wellington.

They’ll then be trekking to Australia for a string of events in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. 

Tickets are still available for all shows via the Juicy Fest website.

Juicy Fest Dates:

Christchurch: Queen Elizabeth Park - 3 Jan 
Wellington: Hutt Park - 5 Jan 
Tauranga: Bay Park - 6 Jan 
Auckland: North Harbour Stadium - 7 Jan 
Melbourne: Showgrounds - 12 Jan 
Sydney: Accor Stadium - 13 Jan 
Perth: Fremantle Oval - 14 Jan 
Canberra: Stage 88 - 19 Jan 
Gold Coast: Doug Jennings Park - 20 Jan