Kickdown music and motorcycle festival opens at Whangamata

Band Devilskin ride through Port Rd Whangamata as they get ready to rock Joe's Farm at this weekend's Kickdown Festival. Photo / Paddy Neale

Kickdown Festival opens on January 20-23 on Joe's Farm, which is set to become the biggest festival venue of the Coromandel Peninsula as organisers promise to build on the success of their events this summer.

Even farmer Joe Adams, the Onemana fire chief, has his motorcycle ready for New Zealand's first ever Kickdown outside of Whangamata ... although it's a farm bike.

The three days of events for Kickdown include the opportunity to 'Ride the Loop' around the Coromandel Peninsula, and offers a $1 million prize draw for participants.

There's also a Motorcycle Stampede and Classic Cover Downtown Bike Show, and an outdoor concert featuring the very best of New Zealand rock, headlined by Blindspott after Kiwi band Shihad was unable to get a band member across from Melbourne due to quarantine law changes.

Blindspott will be joined by Devilskin and Hello Sailor, Stellar, The Jordan Luck Band, Goodshirt and DJs from The Rock.

The Kickdown Festival is being organised by Dennis Beaver and Stu Goldsworthy, in partnership with Noddy Watts, Repco Beach Hop's president, who likened it to a bite-sized, homegrown version of South Dakota's famous Sturgis Rally.

The concert will be held on Saturday.

For the Coromandel loop ride, a comprehensive Traffic Management Plan and range of professionals to ensure riders and spectators are kept safe would also ensure disruption to regular traffic is kept to a minimum, organisers say.

Dennis said he has big ideas with the farm, with infrastructure and gigs this year being part of a long-term plan in close consultation with authorities including Thames-Coromandel District Council.

He said when borders reopened he planned to bring across international acts.

"We've got capacity of 20,000 people and we want to get to that next year."

Coro Events director Dennis Beaver gives the thumbs up to another successful event - Dance Farm, held at Joe's Farm in Whangamata on January 8. Photo / Alison Smith

It is the third event in January by local event organisers Coro Events whose lineup began with Sundown Festival featuring Katchafire, Kora, Masaya, Muorki, Rubi Du and The Black Seeds and played on January 2 and followed with Dance Farm on January 8 featuring Benee, Mitch James, Sachi, Ladyhawke, Georgia Lines, Niko Walters, LA Women and There's a Tuesday.