Organisers of Queenstown arts festival Luma have pulled the pin on the event for 2025 due to rising costs and logistics.

"Rising costs, organisational demands, and the desire to protect the quality of the LUMA experience have all guided us to make this tough call," the team behind the event announced on social media.

"We’d rather take a pause than compromise the magic that so many of you have come to love."

The festival, held over King's Birthday Weekend in June, had become one of the highlights of the year for Queenstown Lakes residents, welcoming around 30,000 people to Queenstown Gardens for spectacular lights, arts and music.

It had replaced Queenstown WinterFest as the annual community get-together. But it was largely organised by volunteers and, like WinterFest, had become unsustainable. It is unlikely to return in its previous form.

"But this isn't the end," the Luma team said.

"Our commitment to community and the arts remains as strong as ever. Programmes like the LUMA Schools and Emerging Artists initiatives will continue, and we’re already exploring fresh ways to celebrate creativity next year and into the future."