Outspoken rapper and hip-hop mogul Kanye West and reformed Seattle rock stalwarts Soundgarden will headline next year's Big Day Out.
West and Soundgarden will also be joined by American alt punks My Chemical Romance and rabble rousing Brit rockers Kasabian, who announced last week they would be playing the New Zealand and Australian festivals.
The Big Day Out will be held at Mt Smart Stadium on January 20. It will be the first time the rock-dominated event has been headlined by a hip-hop artist.
West, whose hits include Gold Digger, Touch the Sky and Otis from his recent album with Jay-Z, has played three times in New Zealand before, supporting U2 in November 2006 and at the St James in March that year (after the Irish mega group were forced to reschedule their concert dates).
He also performed his own solo show at Vector Arena in 2008.
Soundgarden, who split up in 1997 but reunited last year and have a new album in the works, played the Big Day Out in 1994 and 1997. The band's singer Chris Cornell also plays two Auckland shows next week.
Another star attraction will be American skateboarder Tony Hawk who brings his Vert Jam Show to the festival.
Organisers say another 20 bands will be announced later in the year.
Lineup so far:
Kanye West
Soundgarden
Kasabian
Battles
Cage The Elephant
Best Coast
Mariachi El Bronx
My Chemical Romance
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Gin Wigmore
Odd Future
Girl Talk
Royksopp
Foster The People
David Dallas
Cut Off Your Hands
Beastwars
Ghostwave
Mayavanya
The Living End