We are aware of recent media reports regarding inappropriate behaviour at Kiwiburn 2025. These reports stem from discussions on the Kiwiburn Facebook page, which were subsequently brought to the attention of RNZ. RNZ reached out to the Kiwiburn Executive Committee (ExCom) with specific questions, and while we provided detailed answers, only portions of our response were included in the article. This coverage was then picked up by other news outlets, leading to widespread discussion and impact on our community.
We take these matters very seriously and want to directly address our community’s concerns.
ExCom’s Position
ExCom unequivocally condemns any behaviour that violates our community’s principles, endangers the safety and well-being of participants, or causes harm, intentional or otherwise, to any non-consenting person, regardless of age. To be clear, this includes displays of sexual activity without consent.
Key Facts
- 48 children (under 16) attended Kiwiburn 2025, including 28 under 10. As a percentage, the total of those under 16 was 2.1% of all attendees. Parents are expected to be fully responsible for their children at all times, on the understanding that this is an event where clothing is optional, and artistic expression is encouraged. Kiwiburn is run by volunteers who cannot be expected to supervise children. This is known and understood by parents who do choose to bring their children with them
- There have been no official reports of children being exposed to inappropriate behaviour beyond social media discussion.
- Since this year’s event, the level of complaints the Conduct Committee has received has not been any higher than in previous years. There has been no significant increase in the severity of the behaviour complained of. The publicity has been generated by our request for reports, based only on the anecdotal (not official) reports which have come to our attention.
- Police have not been informed of any incidents involving sexual acts, or of children witnessing such acts. While there were police callouts to the event, these were at our request and involved trespassers.
Our Commitment to Safety, Transparency and Accountability
ExCom is committed to openness and accountability. We work with all community members who report concerns regarding inappropriate behaviour, consent breaches, or violations of the Burner Principles. To protect those involved, incident reports are handled confidentially, and we cannot share specific details of ongoing investigations. This applies to active and closed investigations. We respect privacy, in accordance with the Privacy Act and its principles.
If you have experienced any non-consensual behaviour at Kiwiburn (including any displays of sexual behaviour which left you feeling uncomfortable) we strongly encourage you to report it. We do not accept the media narrative that this is “dobbing people in”. You are entitled to have your boundaries respected, and we respect your boundaries. You can contact the Conduct Committee at conductcommittee@kiwiburn.com, where all reports are treated with confidentiality and taken seriously. You are also welcome to file a report with the Hunterville Police.
Across the history of Kiwiburn, many volunteers have dedicated themselves to Kiwiburn, identifying and actioning opportunities to improve our processes around physical, sexual and emotional safety at our event and communicating with the initiatives and processes with the wider community. This mahi will continue, and we look forward to giving more visibility to all the effort our volunteers put into making Kiwiburn run safely.
Addressing Misinformation
We encourage public discourse and healthy debate around how we can all make Kiwiburn better. However, we strongly discourage the spread of unverified claims, hearsay, or rumours, as these make it more difficult to address genuine concerns and place unnecessary strain on our volunteers.
Support for Volunteers and Community Members
We recognise that some volunteers and community members have faced personal and professional challenges due to media coverage of the event. Criticising our volunteers for failure to prevent unacceptable behaviour is unhelpful, and frankly unfair.
Kiwiburn is doing what it can to protect the privacy of the people involved with this event, and we remind all who participate of the importance of respecting the privacy of others.
Looking Ahead to Kiwiburn 2026
As always, our goal remains to create a safe and inclusive environment for our community. Each event provides the opportunity to seek feedback from the community, identify areas of improvement, and make changes for the following year. Together, we will continue to develop initiatives to enhance safety. We will share details after initiatives have been thoughtfully considered in consultation with both the community and outside experts.
Kiwiburn is a volunteer run event. We encourage all members of our community to participate in making each burn the best it can be. There are many ways to get involved:
- Keep having constructive discussions about how we can all improve Kiwiburn
- If you saw or experienced non-consensual behaviour, report it to the Conduct Committee.
- On Paddock, raise issues with Black Sheep Rangers or Consent Club.
- If someone breaches your boundaries, let them know, so they can adjust their behaviour.
- Provide feedback about areas of potential improvement on our website contact page.
- Volunteer for one of the many unfilled roles on the website volunteering page.
We appreciate our community’s engagement and commitment to improving Kiwiburn for the future. Together, we can continue fostering an event that upholds our shared values and ensures the well-being of all participants.
Image Credit: Captain
