Outfield: Hawke's Bay talent to be showcased at NZ's newest music festival

Outfield Festival organisers Hayden Middleton, Jesse Hunter, Andy Hill. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay is home to New Zealand's newest music festival, which will not only showcase music but local food and art as well.

Outfield will take place on February 8, and organisers Jesse Hunter, Andy Hill, Haydn Middleton and Reuben Vergis said they wanted to put together a festival which did not only focus on the line-up but also on art and food.

The line-up, however, includes some big names such as Ladi6 and Australian band Great Gable.

There is also a wealth of Hawke's Bay talent, including Arlo Mac, a group of Havelock North High School students who last year took out Smokefree Rockquest.

Hastings bar Common Room has also picked out a line-up of local talent.

"Hawke's Bay has got so many good resources in terms of music, art, food, everything, so using that while we are here is really good," Hunter said.

The festival aims to not just attract young adults, but to be a family-friendly event.

Hunter said while there were lots of music events in Hawke's Bay, the region lacked a music festival.

"I think it's a really good region for it."

He said they had a lot of interest from vendors, and had received positive feedback from everyone they had approached.

Hill added lots of people had come to them to be part of the festival.

Hunter said they had some of the best food vendors in Hawke's Bay on board, as well as local artists who would be doing installations as part of the event.

"A lot of local talent will be on showcase.

Local food vendors include Piku, Vagabond Jack's, Ya Bon and Hawthorne Coffee.

"So some good established brands in Hawke's Bay," Hill added.

The event will take place on the back section of Cape Estate.

There will be two stages, with around 25 musical acts and up to 10 artists there to do art installations, and a large space in the middle which people can walk around and explore.

The event is on February 8, and while this year is a single day, Middleton said they hoped to grow it in the future.

The group has been working to pull the festival together for the past six months, but had all wanted to bring something to Hawke's Bay for several years.