Angus and Julia Stone are set to perform at Rhythm and Vines.
Angus and Julia Stone are set to perform at Rhythm and Vines.
Coming to a paddock near you ...
Rhythm & Vines
Where: Waiohika Estate, Gisborne When: December 29-31
Rhythm & Vines is ringing in the changes for 2015 after low ticket sales in 2014 almost saw the festival collapse.
The Gisborne-based festival is adding comedians and craft beer gardens alongside a line-up that expands to include a wider sampling of music genres. Headliners include folk duo Angus and Julia Stone, local legend Dave Dobbyn, and Australian reggae act Sticky Fingers. The line-up still includes plenty of dance-friendly acts, with Concord Dawn, Cut Snake, Dan Aux, David Dallas, Jupiter Project, Peking Duk, Scribe, Pendulum, P-Money, RL Grime, Slumberjack, State of Mind, Sniffers and The Black Club, with Mac Mylo on the bill.
New Zealand music icon Dave Dobbyn will play at Rhythm and Vines.
The changes come after just a reported 18,000 tickets of more than 30,000 were sold to last year's event, with festival founder Hamish Pinkman admitting in May the festival had nearly collapsed.The changes, announced today, are necessary to expand the festival's appeal, he said. "Alongside the hip-hop and drum and bass that have driven the crowds crazy these past few years, we will be adding everything from trap to tropical house for 2015," he said. A second announcement of acts is due in at the end of September which Pinkman promises will unveil "a couple of tricks up our sleeves".
Raggamuffin
Where: Trusts Arena, Auckland When: February 20
Raggamuffin has made changes for next year's event, moving from December to take advantage of the settled summer weather, and promising a family friendly vibe by offering free tickets for under-14s. The line-up is solid too, with Eddy Grant and Cee-Lo Green headlining, backed by Sly & Robbie, Inner Circle, Maxi Priest, Junior Marvin's Wailers, Spawnbreezie, Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E, Three Houses Down and Tomorrow People.
Cee-Lo Green will be performing at Raggamuffin.
Soundsplash
Where: Wainui Reserve, Raglan When: January 8-10
Sticky Fingers will headline Soundsplash 2016, the all-ages Raglan festival. Other acts on the bill include The Black Seeds, Trinity Roots, Deadly Hunta, State of Mind, Weird Together, Cornerstone Roots, Bella Kalolo, L.A.B, Raiza Biza, Swamp Thing, Hipstamatics, Tunes of I, Latinaotearoa, Jungle Fari, Ras Drulox, Mighty Mighty and Opaque Clique. A second line-up announcement will be made on September 28. Tickets are on sale now.
Where: Western Springs Stadium, Auckland When: October 26
We're particularly excited about this one, thanks to a hard-hitting line-up that includes soul and R&B icons Mary J Blige, Jill Scott and Lauryn Hill, as well as this year's breakout star Miguel, and hip-hoppers De La Soul and Blackstar.
Mary J Blige is set to perform at Soulfest.
Northern Bass
Where: Worsfold Farm, Mangawhai When: December 29-31
The celebrations are beginning early for those heading to Mangawhai to see in the New Year - Northern Bass has expanded to become a three-day festival. Campgrounds will open early on December 29, with movies for earlybirds. This year's festival is headlined by local heroes Shapeshifter and UK grime artist Skepta. Other acts on the hip-hop and dance-friendly bill include Chali 2na, DJ Marky, Mala, Homebrew, Ladi6, Machinedrum, Danny Byrd, Swindle, A-Sides, Skeptical, Dub Phizix + Strategy, State Of Mind + MC Woody, Dylan C, K+Lab, DLR, Bailey Wiley, Midnight Gallery, Tali, Diaz Grimm, 48 Sonic, Totems and Randa.
Shapeshifter will be performing at Northern Bass.
One Love
Where: Bay of Plenty When: February 6-7
Summer sun is almost guaranteed for this one, and with a line-up of top reggae and hip-hop acts, this is a chance to dance in your jandals. Here's the bill: J Boog, Common Kings, Third World, Steel Pulse, Collie Buddz, Fiji, Katchafire, Kora, House of Shem, Ardijah, Nesian Mystik, Sons of Zion, Sammy J, Tomorrow People, 1814, Che Fu, Swiss, Three Houses Down and Herbs. For more information, click here.
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
Where: Auckland ... or Wellington or Christchurch When: Late Jan/Early Feb
Promoters were hoping to move to the Auckland Domain, but that's been denied by Auckland Council. So losing Laneway to Wellington or Christchurch is a real concern, Laneway NZ Partner Manolo Echave has confirmed. Laneway has been held in Auckland for five years across three different sites, but it has outgrown its home for the past three years, Silo Park, and needs to find somewhere new.
• See next week's TimeOut for news about other big music events coming to town.
