Good Vibes Mount Maunganui Winter Festival brings people together for homegrown music

Good Vibes Mount Maunganui. Photo / George Novak

There were hands raised in the air, cheers and bodies swaying as music pumped at Soper Reserve.

The sold-out crowd of 3500 at Mount Maunganui's Good Vibes Winter Festival brought out their dance moves this eveningfor the event.

DJ Cory started off the atmosphere of good vibes at 3pm.

L.A.B, Katchafire, Sons of Zion, Ardijah, Che Fu, General Fiyah, Three Houses Down and Lomez Brown were in the following line-up for the Tauranga concert.

It will be Good Vibes' sixth stop in a nine-date winter festival tour and will be the biggest of the tour.

The show sold out months in advance - as had several of the other tour stops, run by Pato Entertainment.

Te Roopuhina Te Aho was among the thousands who enjoyed the music of the night.

She was up from Wellington, staying with family in Hamilton, and attending with friends who were part of a Mums Club.

DJ Cory opened Good Vibes Mount Maunganui. Photo / George Novak

"It's a time to get together, be around each other and enjoy the entertainment."

She said this was also the first event she had come out to since having her baby.

Both she and Turangi Heta-Johnstone agreed that L.A.B would be a highlight of the evening for them.

They said it felt awesome to be out at an event where so many people could gather together.

Jahnea Haddon had dedicated six hours to getting her nails bedazzled in Rastafarian colours specially for the event.

She said she had gone to the Good Vibes concert in Auckland last year, and it was a yearly thing now.

Haddon was looking forward to L.A.B and Katchafire.

"We're from up north and we came down to this one so we could be on a different area and connect with new people."

Jahnea Haddon with her specially done nails which took six hours. Photo / George Novak

Chelsea Bennett said she had wanted to come along with her partner because he had never been to a concert before.

Emma Hopa said she had decided to attend because it was something different.

"I'm from a small town, and it's a great way to get out and enjoy music."

Lomez Brown performs for the crowd. Photo / George Novak

They said it was great to be out and among people, not have to worry about Covid as much.

Two weeks ago, the festival hit Rotorua to another sold-out crowd of 3000, and proved people were well into celebrating the end of the social-distancing era.

The other tour shows still coming up are in Auckland, Whangarei and Christchurch.

Che Fu amps up the audience. Photo / George Novak