An annual Gisborne festival that last year erupted into a three-hour riot looks set to be replaced by an  alcohol-free gospel version.

Gisborne District Council approved on Thursday a plan to hold the four-day Gospel Roots Tairawhiti Music and Arts Festival at the Awapuni Stadium and nearby campgrounds.

The venue had been home to the annual BW Summer Festival, from 2007 to 2014.

Last year the festival ended in a riot where more than 63 people were arrested and 83 injured.

During a three-hour battle with police a mob of drunken campers set fires, overturned vehicles, hurled objects at police and security guards, and wrecked the campsite.

The new Christian-based festival will be far less riotous, with organisers saying they will not tolerate drinking, smoking, aggressive dancing, stage diving or crowd surfing.

The festival, run by the Gospel Roots Charitable Trust, is an initiative of the Maori Anglican Church in Tairawhiti, and the Anglican Diocese of Waiapu.

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