The Others Way festival has come to an end after a decade, closing a distinctive chapter in Auckland's live music and Karangahape Road culture.

The festival ran for around a decade. Its end has been met with sadness from organisers and fans.

Small and mid-sized music festivals face pressure from costs, sponsorship challenges and changing audience behaviour.

The loss of a beloved local festival raises a bigger question about how cities support the cultural events that give neighbourhoods their identity.

The key question is what kind of support smaller festivals need to survive.