Festivals popular

Two of the country’s major summer music festivals are nearly sold out, despite organisers being unable to lock in their line-ups while the borders remain shut. Rhythm & Vines founder and co-director Hamish Pinkham was optimistic mosh pits and tent villages would be allowed to open for business by new year, with 90 per cent of the festival’s 20,000 tickets already sold. He said international artists were the only part of planning that had stalled, with organisers opting to keep a range of line-up options open rather than exchange formal contracts just yet. In Mangawhai, new year festival Northern Bass had already booked some of its international headliners before the border closed. Director Gareth Popham said it was the fastest year on record for sales, so he had been helping devise a plan B line-up with all New Zealand artists. – RNZ