Canta’s Ultimate Summer Festival Guide
No matter what your summer plans, make sure to stay safe and have a boogie. Source: Unsplash.
Finally, we’ve made it to summer! With the return of warm days and Christmas right around the corner – summer also marks the start of the festival season. With some of the best artists from around the world arriving on our shores, here’s all you need to know about all the major festivals happening across Aotearoa.
December 28th marks the day Hidden Lakes brings some of the best talent from the DJ scene to Hagley Park. Sammy Virji, Interplanetary Criminal, Shy FX, and Luude all headline a stacked lineup that promises to be an absolute blast.
Sammy Virji will definitely be at the top of most Hidden Lakes attendees’ watch lists. However, Manchester-based Interplanetary Criminal is someone that you should definitely consider giving equal attention to. After delivering one of the best house tracks in recent memory with his song, Baddest of Them All, with Eliza Rose, and a recent collaboration with fellow UK rapper Blanco, Interplanetary Criminal is someone everyone should check out.
From the 29th of December through to New Year’s Day, nearly 30,000 people will be heading to Gisborne for Rhythm and Vines (RNV). With RNV being the biggest festival on the New Zealand festival calendar, the 2024 lineup well and truly reflects that.
The first release of artists performing at RNV was announced in late August, with New York rapper Ice Spice and New Zealand music icon Sir Dave Dobbyn headlining the three-day festival. Other notable names in the lineup include Australian DJ Luude, RL Grime, and Sammy Virji.
However, one wildcard amongst the RNV lineup is UK-based DJ Fish56Octagon. With over 400,000 followers on TikTok, Fish56Octagon boasts incredible knowledge and love for all things electronic music. Despite looking like your stereotypical middle-aged father of two, he’s an absolute wizard on the decks. Someone to definitely go see if you’re heading to Gisborne to welcome in the new year.
Rhythm and Vines South Island partner Rhythm and Alps also promises to be a fun-filled end to the year, with Becky Hill and Badger bringing their talents to Cardrona Valley.
Also, at the same time as RNV and RNA, Kaiwaka, just north of Auckland, will play host to Northern Bass and a star-studded lineup. London rappers AJ Tracey and Ghetts are joined by fellow countrymen Shy FX, A.M.C, Songer, and Andy C in what looks to be an action-packed three days in the Northland region.
The final big New Year’s festival in New Zealand comes in the form of Twisted Frequency.
Taking place just outside Motueka in Cobb Valley. The five-day event brings the very best underground music and art from across Aotearoa. The festival’s roots come from the ‘psychedelic’ culture of the 1960s and aims to bring together the very best of all the different creative scenes that this country has to offer – from music to visual and live art.
Some artists to look out for if you’re heading that way in late December to early January are Christchurch DJ BuzzlightYeah and Wellington visual artist Uncle Graham.
Entering into 2025, Juicy Fest kicks off the year with a bang. Starting in Christchurch on January 8th, then Wellington on the 10th, Auckland on the 11th and finally Tauranga on the 12th. Juicy Fest is the place to be for any lovers of early 2000s R&B.
Ludacris and Akon headline a stacked lineup that also includes Keyshia Cole, Fat Joe, SWV and many more.
Following on from Juicy Fest, Laneway makes a strong case for having one of the best lineups of the summer. February 6th marks the day that Auckland hosts the likes of Clairo, Beabadoobee – and the music industry’s women of the hour, Charli XCX.
After her widely popular album, BRAT, took the world by storm, Charli XCX is no doubt the one artist you must see if you’re heading to Laneway on Waitangi day. With highlights from the album like Apple and 360 to surely be crowd favourites, her earlier hits like I Love It with Icona Pop and Boom Clap will help to make this a performance you’d hate to miss.
Scottish DJ Barry Can’t Swim, and Stranger Things actor Joe Keery – musically known as Djo – also feature in the lineup, which helps Laneway’s case of potentially being the number 1 festival on the New Zealand summer calendar.
This brings us to the final summer festival with Electric Avenue. Traditionally a one-day event, Electric Avenue 2025 will be a two-day event in celebration of its ten-year anniversary.
The 21st and 22nd of February see artists like Chase and Status, Empire of the Sun, L.A.B, Mall Grab, Wilkinson, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Salute, and Troy Kingi bring their talents to Hagley Park as fans of various genres and artists come together to cap off the summer in style.
As we head into the end of the year, take some time to reflect on the year that’s gone by and make sure to celebrate how far you’ve come. No matter what festival you’re planning on going to this summer, make sure to stay safe, have a boogie, wear sunscreen – and most importantly, have some fun!