Summer of sound
Here comes Cardi B, Juice WRLD, Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$ – and that’s just for starters. Kate Robertson has the details of the festivals you need to know about.
Not that long ago I turned 21 and decided to celebrate my adulthood by sweating for five days in Byron Bay with only a $25 Kmart tent to call home. It was Bluesfest, and I saw Tom Jones, Noel Gallagher, Kendrick Lamar, Mick Fleetwood, D’Angelo, and Melissa Etheridge, among others.
The five days of Porta Shower-ing paid dividends – I’ll brag about the experience until I die.
Fast forward to 2018, and you don’t even have to fly across the ditch to have your very own lifealtering festival experience. You don’t even have to camp.
This New Year’s alone New Zealand will host Cardi B, Juice WRLD, Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$.
These artists are four of the most recognisable names in mainstream hip-hop. Between them they’ll play the Bay Dreams, Northern Bass, Rhythm and Vines, and Rhythm and Alps festivals.
Ten years ago, there were only a handful of music festivals to choose from over summer. This year there are dozens.
With our pockets far from bottomless and our Airpoints cards nowhere near free-flight status, choices need to be made.
Laneway or Splore? FOMO or R’n’V?
As a festival fiend and self-confessed good time girl, I’ve done the leg work on the line-ups, so you don’t have to.
Boastful bills are overwhelming, so you’ll have to be ruthless. Headliners are great, but the overall vibe is what will make or break your experience.
If you hate drunk crowds, don’t go to Bay Dreams. If you want a better standard of fare to nibble while you enjoy music from the shade of an oak tree, get to Nostalgia or North West.
Whatever you do, don’t spend your summer wishing you were there. Buy a ticket, pack a day bag, and get amongst it.
December
Rhythm and Vines
What: New Zealand’s longest-running New Year’s festival and a rite of passage for Kiwi teens. Contrary to popular belief, R’n’V is still extremely fun well into your adult years, just consider a VIP upgrade for access to the grown-ups’ bar (read: a little less grubby in the wee hours).
Where: Waiohika Estate, Gisborne.
When: December 29-31.
Who: Juice WRLD, Robinson, Dvsn, Foals, Dean Lewis, and Drax Project.
Cost: $118-$395, with glamping and VIP upgrades available.
Family-friendly: No.
Rhythm and Alps
What: Rhythm and Vines’ younger, more chilled sibling. R’n’A makes up for its lighter line-up with plenty of shakas and way less drunken debauchery. Good times all around. Where: Cardrona Valley, Queenstown.
When: December 29-31.
Who: Action Bronson, Matt Corby, Julia Deans, and The Cat Empire.
Cost: $119-$299, with glamping and VIP upgrades are available.
Family-friendly: No.
Northern Bass
What: If you want to welcome in 2019 with a bang, Northern Bass will do the trick. The line-up is predominantly electronic, and the festivities run late into the night. If you can’t stand sweaty party animals brushing against you in the mosh pit, move along.
Where: Worsfold’s Farm, Mangawhai.
When: December 29-31.
Who: Joey Bada$$, Shapeshifter, Pendulum, and Stefflon Don.
Cost: $129.90-$349.80, with glamping options available.
Family-friendly: No.
Top Paddock
What: Top Paddock is a full-noise country music festival. Get the Hilux out of the garage, dust off your cowboy boots and find yourself a Swandri for one big old New Year’s hoedown.
Where: Lake Hawea, Wanaka.
When: December 31
Who: Jody Direen, Kaylee Bell, Hurricane Fall, and Germein.
Cost: $79, with VIP upgrades and camping available.
Family-friendly: No.
Wondergarden
What: A cool alternative festival for the lonely souls left in Auckland over New Year’s. The line-up is loaded with Kiwi music royalty, and champions the scene unlike any other New Year’s offerings. Where: Silo Park, Auckland.
When: December 31.
Who: Ladi6, Katchafire, Avantdale Bowling Club, High Hoops, Matthew Young, and JessB.
Cost: $95 for adults, $46 for kids under-12, and free for kids under 5.
Family-friendly: Yes.
January
Bay Dreams
What: Bay Dreams is a one-day festival offering the summer’s most mainstream line-up. If your friend group can’t make a decision on where to have dinner, let alone which festival to attend, head along to Bay Dreams for a good old lolly scramble-esque, crowd-pleasing line-up. Where: ASB Baypark in Tauranga and Trafalgar Park in Nelson.
When: January 2 and January 4. Who: Cardi B, Migos, Peking Duk, Tash Sultana, and Home Brew.
Cost: Both festivals are sold out, so Trade Me will be your best bet for picking up a ticket. Family-friendly: No
FOMO By Night
What: FOMO By Night (FOMO stands for ‘‘fear of missing out’’) is New Zealand’s first taste of Australian festival FOMO. It’s defined by having just one stage, meaning no clashes and no ‘‘FOMO’’. Expect it to be loud, high energy and one hell of a hip-hop party.
Where: Spark Arena, Auckland.
When: January 9.
Who: Nicki Minaj, Lil Pump, Mura Masa, and Kali Uchis.
Cost: $169, with layby and VIP upgrades available. Family-friendly: No.
A Summer’s Day Disco
What: A Summer’s Day Disco boasts an impressive line-up of 1960s and 1970s party people, and is sure to be an absolute groove fest. Note that most of the acts are a combination of original members and those who joined after their peak. If you have a favourite, do a quick Wikipedia search to make sure said person is, in fact, still in the band.
Where: ASB Baypark, Tauranga.
When: January 10.
Who: The Jacksons, Kool & The Gang, The Pointer Sisters, and Village People.
Cost: $139 for adults and $59 for kids aged 3-14, with VIP upgrades available.
Family-friendly: Yes.
Nest Fest
What: A sun-soaked festival showcasing the most buzz-worthy acts in a rapidly growing branch of the local music scene. Expect things to get weird and get funky. Grooving between the vines guaranteed.
Where: Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North. When: January 12.
Who: Connan Mockasin & The Family Band, The