Since then Johnny, Gerry and Paul have become mentors to each other as well as sharing resources and skills.
Attracting international acts is one of the many challenges the festival organisers face but by working together they can make it more worthwhile for those artists to make the trip.
"We sat down and made a wish list of who we'd love to get to our festivals and who we'd love to introduce to our audience," said Gerry.
"It's an ever-evolving list and sometimes it takes a few years for the stars to align, but we're really delighted about the acts we managed to secure."
This year festival goers in both cities will be looking forward to catching two notable Australian acts-Mama Kin Spender and C.W. Stoneking as well as acclaimed New Zealand band Trinity Roots.
Gerry, who manages the music programming, works closely with the international artists to ensure their time in New Zealand is a unique and worthwhile experience.
Both festivals value the importance of programming emerging local artists shown this year through bands The Beths, The Miltones and Soaked Oats.
Summer is packed with music festivals so for Nostalgia's Johnny Gibson it's important for both events to stand out.
With a few years of graphic design experience under his belt Johnny worked closely with Coastella on developing their branding and festival identity.
Along with award-winning creative agency Strategy, the team created a colourful, fresh and graphic new look for Coastella.
Their collaboration is crucial for both festivals to survive in a highly competitive music event.
Coastella and Nostalgia are staunchly independent which allows them to spend more time on creating boutique festival experiences for punters and musicians.
Festival goers won't be disappointed by the two festivals' offerings-from organic food producers to locally made beer, and plenty of outstanding music from New Zealand and abroad.
Coastella and Nostalgia say they are confident their partnership is giving them staying power for years to come.
