Tour news: Hipsters welcome at new-look Rhythm & Vines

Rhythm & Vines is ringing in the changes for its 2015 festival.

New Year's festival 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.

For the past few years, the three-day festival held at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne has attracted a younger audience with dance and hip-hop headliners - but this year's festival adds a much wider variety of acts, harking back to the festival's roots.

Headliners announced today 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.

Angus & Julia Stone will perform at Rhythm & Vines 2015.

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.

Pinkman said they'd been forced to slash 30 per cent from the festival's costs and cut full-time staff from eight to two.

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.

Cut Snake will perform at Rhythm & Vines 2015.

"With a new sound comes further additions which are completely new to the festival, including a comedy component, new staging layout, craft beer gardens and much more."

"This first line-up announcement gives everyone an idea into the new look and feel for
the festival."

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".

David Dallas will perform at Rhythm & Vines 2015.

Tickets are available for $200 until midnight tonight. Camping upgrades, VIP upgrades,
hotel packages and single day passes are also available.

Soundsplash

Sticky Fingers are also on the bill for Soundsplash 2016, the all-ages Raglan festival held being held in Wainui Reserve from January 8-10.

Other acts on the bill, confirmed today, 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.

- nzherald.co.nz