Hawke's Bay's first music festival of the year will be bigger than ever, with a wider variety of tunes and entertainment.
The Backyard Summerfest on January 18 is replacing Blues Brews and BBQs, and organiser Kevin Murphy said the difference from the previous festival was that patrons could bring their own picnic while enjoying more music.
"Our aim is to create a summerfest that Hawke's Bay people really own and enjoy coming to.
"The time is right for Hawke's Bay to have a summer festival that can evolve into a much bigger event," he said.
The headline act at the inaugural event is Auckland band Sola Rosa, who recently returned from a European tour.