World Buskers Festival organisers have conceded the 2018 event made a loss, despite an earlier claim to the contrary.

﻿In a joint statement on Thursday, the festival trust and ChristchurchNZ, the city's tourism, events and economic development agency that now oversees the Christchurch festival, said the event had a deficit "in the region of $33,000", though the amount was yet to be finalised.

ChristchurchNZ underwrote the 2018 festival for up to $200,000.The trust had already accessed some of the grant "because of a cashflow shortage ahead of winding up", the statement said.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF The World Buskers Festival at the Christchurch Arts Centre in 2018.

Former festival director Melissa Haberfield claimed last week the festival made a $150,000 surplus, though it is unclear what the figure was based on. The joint statement confirmed the $33,000 figure.

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﻿The World Buskers Festival has struggled in the last few years, losing $115,000 in 2016 and $160,000 in 2017. The losses led to a review of the 25-year-old festival, a raft of proposed changes and control of the event moving to ChristchurchNZ.

STACY SQUIRES/STUFF Melissa Haberfield has been the World Buskers Festival director since 2016.

The trust that ran the festival was dissolved on Thursday. Haberfield and festival artistic producer Tim Bain left their roles.

ChristchurchNZ general manager for attraction Linda Falwasser said an independent monitoring company looked at "the financials".

"The final accounts will need to be completed. At this stage, it's looking like about $33,000 that the trust may need. We made a payment last night of half that to cover their shortfall."​

STACY SQUIRES/STUFF Quatuor Stomp perform at the Arts Centre during World Buskers Festival in 2018.

Festival trust board spokeswoman Stella Ward said the trust was "extremely proud of the success of this year's event".

Haberfield earlier estimated that more than 300,000 people attended evening and daytime shows this year. That compared to about 295,000 attendances last year and about 150,000 in 2016 when stormy weather disrupted five of the event's 10 days.

ChristchurchNZ chief executive Joanna Norris said: "We are really pleased the event was delivered successfully this year and so many Christchurch people were able to enjoy the festival.

supplied ChristchurchNZ chief executive Joanna Norris says the 2019 festival will be ambitious, bold and financially sustainable.

"The trust did a great job delivering the 25th anniversary event and it has been great working alongside them this year. We are now looking forward to 2019 when we will be working with local and international artists and sponsors to deliver an ambitious, bold event that is financially sustainable.

"The legacy of the festival is powerful and important – it is part of the social fabric of the city and has provided Christchurch with a place on the world busking stage – and we are all really excited to be taking the festival to new heights in 2019 and beyond."

Haberfield said the festival would release a summary of the 2018 festival next week.