Thousands party in rain, mud and music

Rhythm & Vines 2011. Photo / Supplied

A lead-in of wet weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the thousands of revellers at the Rhythm and Vines music festival near Gisborne yesterday.

A record second-night crowd of 26,000 packed into the Waiohika Estate to see performers including Scottish artist Calvin Harris, Cut Copy and Six60.

The annual festival - in its ninth year - had its biggest opening night on Thursday with 25,000 on site. Organisers expect 28,000 revellers tonight, a New Year's Eve record.

Showers yesterday made life uncomfortable for those staying in campsites around Gisborne before clearing in the evening.

BW Campsite residents Helen Chen, Katherine Mowbray, Riah Mildenhall, Rachel Miller and Alex Best said the rain and mud were "all part of it".

Some of the group had stayed at the campsite last year but said that now things were much better organised.

"The lines are much better for the bus [to the festival] - the lines last year were really crazy and there were riots," Ms Mowbray said. "This year it's awesome ..."

The Aucklanders said thousands of young people camping together could throw up some "interesting" standards of hygiene and behaviour.

"But it's all part of the experience," Ms Mildenhall said.

"It's like another world in there. An unshowered kind of grotty world. That's why the rain's good - it will clean people."

Rhythm and Vines employs up to 2000 people, and long lines at cafes and liquor outlets yesterday showed the boon the festival is for Gisborne.

Priscilla Montaperto, manager at The Mill Liquorsave, said the amount of stock sold over the festival was "astronomical".

"Virtually as quick as we're putting it into the freezers and fridges, it's coming straight back out."

Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon said the festival had residents' full support - despite causing the kind of traffic more commonly seen in Auckland.

Police said people had generally been well behaved.