KEY POINTS:
The Big Day Out has already announced its first lot of acts and some of summer's other big festivals are also kicking into gear.
First up, Splore is back again next year and will be headlined by live drum 'n' bass supremoes Shapeshifter.
The line-up also includes locals Kora, Tiki, Tyra and the Tornadoes and Epsilon-Blue and international artists such as Swedish beat-maker Freddy Cruger, German soul-latin-funk duo Mo' Horizons, New York hip-hop star Pharoahe Monch, and Ishle Park, one of the many poets from rap mogul Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam. More acts will be announced.
The three-day festival will run from February 8-10 at Tapapakanga Regional Park, one hour south-east of Auckland at the base of the Hunua Ranges and on the Firth of Thames. Tickets are $160 (plus booking fee), which includes camping, from iticket.co.nz. For more information go to splore.net.
And New Year's Eve parties don't get much bigger than Mercury Rising in Whitianga. The gig, which starts at 2pm on December 31, is headlined by Katchafire, with support from Che Fu and the Krates, Phoenix Foundation, the WBC, Tahuna Breaks and many more.
This year the festival has moved sites and is now closer to Whitianga, just off SH25, which means there is more carparking and camping room. However, organisers warn that tent sites have to be booked because there is limited room.
Tickets cost $90 from Ticketek on October 15. There is also a special VIP ticket for $140 from liveconcert.co.nz.
Meanwhile, the annual Parachute Festival is back on Auckland Anniversary weekend from January 25-28 and this time San Diego-based rockers Switchfoot, will headline the Christian event. More acts will be announced for the festival in the coming weeks.
Plus, don't forget the Raggamuffin Festival in Rotorua on February 2 featuring UB40, The Wailers, Katchafire, Maxi Priest, and many more.
For tickets and more information, go to parachutemusic.com.
