There are plenty of gigs - you just have to decide which crowd to be a part of. Photo / Peter de Graaf
There are plenty of gigs - you just have to decide which crowd to be a part of. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Recent weeks have seen a plethora of tour and festival announcements hit the net. If you’re struggling to keep up, TimeOut has you covered.
Auckland's hottest New Year's Eve party Wondergarden is returning for its third year with a line-up headed by Nightmares on Wax.
The Leeds DJ has paved the way for artists like Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke and Mount Kimbie and remains one of the most influential artists on the electronic scene.
Also on the line-up is California funk sensation Dam-Funk, indie-pop duo Kilo, indie band Cut Off Your Hands, soul/R&B duo Fortunes, DJ Tina Turntables and Kiwi rap sensation JessB.
With three more acts still to be announced, Wondergarden's promoters promise this one will be "bigger and bolder than ever".
But Wondergarden isn't the only festival on the way. Fellow New Year's festival Northern Bass has also made its first line-up announcement, boasting massive headliners like NYC rapper and TV chef Action Bronson, London MC Stefflon Don and US live trap outfit Keys n Krates.
There's also an impressive suite of Kiwi acts including returning Kiwi drum and bass superstars Shapeshifter, hip-hop stars Melodownz, JessB, Montell2099 and The Settlers, and R&B songstress Villette.
Another festival packed full of Kiwi talent is Soundsplash, which returns to Raglan to celebrate the summer from January 18-20.
The festival is headlined by Aussie indie/reggae fusion band Sticky Fingers and London drum and bass star Macky Gee, but it also features the likes of Sachi, the Kora brothers L.A.B, Theia, Kings and Home Brew.
Soundsplash is also kicking its zero-waste policy up a notch and is set to become the first accredited plastic bag-free festival in New Zealand.
And back on the international front, there's Eskimo Dance - a legendary grime event fresh from the UK and hot on the heels of a sell-out show at Wembley Arena.
The event's founder and the "Godfather of Grime" Wiley is headlining the event, along with Big Shaq, Lethal Bizzle, P Money (not to be confused with New Zealand's own P-Money), Devlin, Rude Kid and DJ Target.
As impressive as these line-ups are, these are just four of many recently announced events coming to New Zealand this year. So just in case...
The latest announcements you might have missed:
Wondergarden: New Year's Eve, Silo Park. Earlybird tickets on sale August 14. Wondergarden.co.nz. Northern Bass: Dec 29-Jan 1. Worsfold Farm, Mangawhai. Tickets on sale now. Northernbass.co.nz Eskimo Dance: October 16 and 17, Auckland and Christchurch. Tickets on sale now. Eskimo.dance. Soundsplash: January 18-20. Raglan's Wainui Reserve. Tickets on sale now. Soundsplash.co.nz Listen In featuring A$AP Rocky, Lil Skies, Skepta and Skrillex. September 28, Spark Arena. Tickets on sale now. Livenation.co.nz. Rufus Wainwright: March 2 and 3, Auckland and Wellington. Tickets on sale August 16. Rufuswainwright.com. TOTO and Dragon: Four dates, January 9-13 for A Summer's Day Live. Tickets on sale 9am, August 13. Neptuneentertainment.co.nz Donavon Frankenreiter: Five dates, November 27-December 1. Tickets on sale August 10, pre-sale August 7. Livenation.co.nz Stan Walker: 12 dates, October 25-November 17. Tickets on sale now. Ticketspace.nz Mitch James: Four dates, September 19-28. Tickets on sale 7pm, August 15. Mitchjamesmusic.com Tiny Ruins: Three dates, October 18-November 3. Tickets on sale now. Undertheradar.co.nz Princess Chelsea: Four dates, October 26-November 17. Tickets on sale now. Princesschelsea.co.nz
