Lobbying For Good with Erika Harvey

On Saturday, May 24, Tauranga’s CBD Waterfront will come alive with the energy, talent and voices of our next generation.

YouthFest 2025 is more than just a celebration, it’s a blueprint for how things should be done when it comes to engaging young people.

At Youth Voices Action, we’ve always believed that if you’re planning something for young people, you need to plan it with them. That’s not just a buzzword. it’s common sense. But it’s something that’s still surprisingly rare. Too often, decisions get made in boardrooms and passed down, missing the mark entirely. YouthFest flips that model on its head.

This event has been built from the ground up by our youth panel. They’ve picked the acts. They’re MCing on the day and running the show. They’ve decided what matters, what’s cool, and what feels right. And when you give young people real responsibility and the trust to lead, they show up. They deliver. They raise the bar.

Events like YouthFest aren’t just a good time – though trust me, it will be – they’re proof that engagement isn’t hard when you treat young people as equal partners, not token voices. It’s not about a survey or a checkbox. It’s about building something together.

This one day in May represents months of listening, debating, dreaming and doing. It’s the result of community backing, local businesses stepping up, volunteers rolling up their sleeves, and young people leading the way. That’s what makes it powerful.

So if you're wondering what real engagement looks like, come down to the CBD Waterfront on the strand, Saturday, May 24, during Youth Week! Hear the music. Watch the performances. Feel the energy. And be reminded this is what happens when we stop designing for people and start designing with them. See you there!