How to pick the right summer music festival in New Zealand

By Amberleigh Jack

Summer festival season may be a gig-goer's dream in Aotearoa, but let's be real - concerts aren't cheap.

With cost of living and financial pressures contributing to burnout and stress levels, hitting multiple shows isn't practical for a lot of Kiwis, and picking the right one can feel intimidating.

From both personal experience and the help of a stage manager with decades of behind the scenes experience, RNZ compiled a (non-exhaustive - or we'd be here all week) guide to help pick the perfect summer gig.

Pining for some rock nostalgia

For those that love the classics of yesteryear, Aussie rockers Cold Chisel will celebrate 50 years on the annual NZ Summer Concert Tour in Queenstown, Taupō and Whitianga. Joining the lineup is Everclear, Icehouse and local icon Bic Runga.

New Zealand-born, US-based fan Owen Harris is hoping to be in town for the Whitianga leg - reliving memories from his first gig more than 40 years ago - Icehouse in Auckland in 1982.

More info here.

I want the kids to experience a festival vibe, too

If you're looking for the kids to experience live music and performance, but are looking for a slightly different vibe than Bluey's stage show in April, WOMAD (World of music, arts and dance) Aotearoa is Taranaki's hub for family-friendly art and festival vibes come March.

You won't find top 40 pop artists here - that's not what WOMAD's about. But you'll get a range of global artists, across genres, family camping areas and plenty of culture.

14-16 March, TSB Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Park, Ngāmotu (New Plymouth). Tickets here.

Live music for the family without the cost

Auckland's annual Music in Parks series is hard to scoff at if you're wanting music, a picnic in the park, and zero cost.

Stage manager Gavin Downie has worked on the events in recent years, which has included artists like Che Fu and Annie Crummer, and says the whole vibe is family-friendly, features great music and plays out across a range of Auckland parks.

The 2025 summer lineup should be announced in late November, and the series runs from January through to late March.

There for the Instagram-worthy pics

If getting the perfect snapshots for your Instagram reels or TikTok moments are a priority, Downie says Wānaka's three-day New Year's festival, Rhythm and Alps, has the party atmosphere, the incredible backdrop and a lineup including Sir Dave Dobbyn, Shapeshifter and Andy C.

It doesn't get much more social media-friendly than that, right?

Tickets and details here.

I'm keen to welcome '25 with a multi-day rave

If you're down to party for three days in Northland, surrounded by fellow EDM fans, Northern Bass is our easy pick.

Organiser Gareth Popham says the festival - with multiple stages, camping and art installations in Kaiwaka - is a "magnet for those seeking a unique New Year celebration".

Drawing a "vibrant, diverse crowd of electronic music lovers", the drum and bass festival generally attracts the 18-35 age range and Popham promises an "electrifying atmosphere, and an inclusive festival community".

This year's lineup includes AJ Tracey, Hybrid Minds, Andy C and BOU.

Tickets here.

I want to get rowdy with my 70-year-old dad

One of the best things about growing out of teenage angst and reaching adulthood is realising that spending a night out with the olds bonding over good music can be an absolute blast.

We may be pushing it with the summer theme, here, with Kiwi icons Dragon celebrating 50 years with a tour from Invercargill to Auckland in April.

But take any generation, put them in a pub and wait for the opening chords of 'April Sun in Cuba' to hit. Then tell me this tour doesn't scream "perfect summer gig".

Details and tickets here.

I'm sick of travelling to the North Island for big gigs

We hear you, South Island.

Electric Avenue Festival at Christchurch's Hagley Park is, says Downie, an "international level music festival in the heart of Christchurch".

Over two days on 21 and 22 February, the festival's 10th year will brings acts like Th' Dudes, Chase and Status, Empire of the Sun, The Prodigy and The Kooks.

Info and tickets here.

I'm more alternative and cool than mainstream

Auckland's Laneway Festival, on Waitangi Day, is well-known for bringing the alternative student radio-esque music scene to the stage, and appeals to, says Downie, "music aficionados and taste makers".

With this year's lineup featuring Charli XCX and Vera Ellen, "it's not really a party festival, it's a music festival for music".

Longtime music fan Owen Harris felt a couple of years ago that it had veered from a "wider alternative appeal to a younger pop audience". However, he freely admits, "that may just be me being an old fogey".

More info here.

Can you give me a mixed bag of New Zealand's best?

New Zealand's annual Homegrown festival on Wellington's waterfront in March is what Downie lovingly calls a "Kiwi music bestival".

With a lineup including Sir Dave Dobbyn, The Black Seeds and Shapeshifter, some fans "will stick to the rock stage or the electric, but others will shift around the day".

Think similar vibes to Big Day Out, but entirely homegrown music.

More info here.

What about Spring Break, with hints of Glastonbury, but without leaving the country, and for New Years?

That's quite a wishlist, but we've got you.

From 29 December, Rhythm and Vines turns Gisborne's Waiohika Estate into a three-day party that appeals, says Downie, to the "young party crowd that wants to bring in the year with their mates".

The lineup includes Ice Spice, Sammy Virji and Meduza, but the festival is largely about good times, says Downie.

That, and "getting raucous".

Info and tickets here.

Quickfire hits

• Lights, outfits, music, camping and a swim spot: Shipwrecked, 7-9 February, Te Ārai.
• Festival vibe for free: Pasifika Festival, Western Springs Park, Auckland, 8-9 March.
• Throwback to Big Day Out's Boiler Room: Shapeshifter, Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North, 7 December.
• Groove in the sun with a glass of wine: Fat Freddy's Drop, Neudorf Vineyards, Upper Moutere, Nelson, 2 February.
• Bring in the New Year at a winery festival in the Waipara River Valley: Rolling Meadows.
• Jump on the Vengabus with: Vengaboys, Christchurch and Auckland, 28 and 29 January.

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