Here's everything you need to know about Rhythm and Vines 2024. Photo / Supplied
The renowned “Road to Rhythm” is almost upon us for another year, with a fresh batch of some 20,000 festival-goers set to descend on Gisborne for a “Happy New Year”.
A rite of passage for New Zealanders across the motu, Rhythm and Vines is an annual three-day festival featuring an array of artists, from household names to up-and-coming Kiwi talent. It also typically involves camping at Gisborne’s famed Waiohika Estate, a formative experience of shared shower blocks, overpriced RTDs, and sometimes, feigning deafness during a tentmate’s sleeping bag shenanigans.
This year the bill boasts several high-profile international acts, from Princess Diana rapper Ice Spice to Aussie EDM duo Peking Duk and electronic rockers Pendulum. Local artists on the line-up include the likes of national treasure Sir Dave Dobbyn and drum-and-bass heavyweights Lee Mvtthews.
But before frolicking among the vines, here’s the Herald’s handy guide to nailing your New Year’s experience — from getting to R&V to parking and paying and everything in between.
Everything you need to know about Rhythm and Vines 2024.
Rhythm and Vines is a three-day event that kicks off at 2pm on December 29, ending with the first sunrise of 2025 on January 1. How poetic.
On-site campers can arrive at the campground for check-in from 9:30am to 9pm on December 28. While the festival doesn’t officially start until the next day, there is an exclusive pre-party (the “Waiohika Warmup”) for on-site campers on December 28 to get the party started.
Rhythm and Vines is held at the sprawling Waiohika Estate in Gisborne/Tairāwhiti: for the designated Google Mappers, the official address is 75 Waimata Valley Rd, Hexton.
On a regular day, the drive to Waiohika Estate from Auckland CBD is just over 6 hours. However, the proverbial “Road to Rhythm” can be notoriously congested, so the drive will likely be an hour or two longer, depending on when you leave. Rhythm and Vines' regulars will recommend travelling at off-peak times, even if it means setting a very early alarm.
Rhythm and Vines is known for hosting a diverse line-up of artists, from international heavyweights to homegrown talent.
Each day features a different bill, with the artists performing across three main stages: Rhythm, One NZ Vines, and Cellar. There are also several smaller stages, such as Garden, the Greenhouse Bar, and Goose Club.
To avoid missing your favourite artist, take note of the day they are scheduled to perform and which stage — for example, Peking Duk will take the One NZ Vines stage on December 29, so if you show up expecting to see them on December 31, you will be pekin’ disappointed.
Here are the headlining acts for each day:
December 29: Ice Spice, Sammy Virji, Peking Duk, Shy FX (with Stamina MC)
December 30: Pendulum, RL Grime, Dope Lemon, Koven, Meduza, Coterie
December 31: Luude, Sir Dave Dobbyn, Jyoty, Lee Mvtthews, Girls Don’t Sync, Sachi.
The full line-up is available here. For set times and stages, you can download the R&V app from the App Store or Google Play.
Many attendees see Rhythm and Vines as an opportunity for the ultimate road-trip, but if you’re unable to drive (or can’t be bothered splitting gas money), Intercity is running direct bus services to and from the festival.
The buses leave from Auckland, Napier and Wellington on December 28 and 29 and arrive (and depart from) outside the Gate B entrance. If these services don’t work for you, Intercity also runs regular buses to Gisborne from towns and cities around the North Island.
Saturday, December 28
Auckland-Gisborne 8:30am - Sky City Bus Terminal, 102 Hobson St, Auckland 6:32pm - Gate B Entrance, 75 Waimata Valley Road.
Wellington-Napier-Gisborne 7:30am - Railway Station, Platform 10 6:10pm - Gate B Entrance.
Napier-Gisborne 1:45pm - 12 Carlyle Street 6:10pm - Gate B Entrance.
Wednesday, January 1
Gisborne-Napier 8:30am - Gate B Entrance 1pm - 12 Carlyle Street.
Gisborne-Napier-Wellington 8:30am - Gate B Entrance 7:45pm - Railway Station, Platform 10.
Gisborne-Auckland 7:55am - Gate B Entrance 6:20pm - Sky City Bus Terminal.
You can book a seat on a designated Rhythm and Vines bus here.
For those staying in or around Gisborne, there are ticketed bus services available for all attendees. You can purchase a 3-day or single-day bus pass that will take you to and from the festival site each day. You can book your bus pass and find more information here.
Good news: there is free parking on-site.
Entry to the carpark may be delayed during peak periods as all cars are required to be searched.
If you want to travel into Gisborne during the day, there are several public carparks available around the city. Information is available here.
While you are allowed to bring a campervan into the on-site carpark, you are not allowed to sleep in it. People who travel in campervans are still required to stay at one of the festival campgrounds. If you are wanting to sleep in your van, you will need to take it to one of the local campervan parks.
Rhythm and Vines is a cashless event and uses a bank system, Wayver, to help minimise queues.
In a nutshell, all attendees are given an electronic wristband at check-in which contains an RFID chip. This chip will act like your Eftpos card: any on-site purchases are made by scanning your chip, which will deduct funds from your Wayver account.
If you’re running low on dollars, never fear: you can top-up your wristband at the on-site stations or “festival banks”. You can top-up with cash, Eftpos, Visa or MasterCard. You can also refund any remaining money to your account via these stations at the end of the festival.
The first time you top up your wristband, there will be a once-off service fee of $5, and the maximum top-up at any one time is $300. Capeesh?
That would be a resounding no. Rhythm and Vines' liquor licence does not allow attendees to bring their own alcohol.
There are bars located within the festival site that sell alcoholic beverages.
If you are thinking about trying to sneak alcohol in on your body or in your car, remember, all cars are required to be searched and bags are checked at the gates. Staff may also pat you down before entry.
There are several campgrounds across the estate: Bass Camp, Rhythm Camp, Meadow Camp, Treble Camp, Lil Treble, and Premium Camp. You will have booked your campground when you purchased your ticket.
Facilities include portaloos, shower blocks, shaded seating, camp stores, bars, and food courts. All campgrounds are located on-site and a stone’s throw from the stages.
When it comes to premium accommodation, the Glamping and Prem-Tent Packages, as well as the off-site Hotel Package, have sold out. However, several Motel Packages are still available at the time of writing. Packages include your festival tickets and accommodation.
If your friends are staying in a different campground, you may be able to swap via your ticketing account — subject to availability, of course. If you are wanting to upgrade campsites, fees will apply.
If you have a camping ticket for Treble, Rhythm, Bass, Meadow, Lil Treble or Premium, you need to bring your own tent (and remove it afterwards).
If you purchased Glamping, Prem-Tent, or a Bookatent Camping Package, your tent is included.
On December 28, Gisborne District Council announced its beaches - including Tolaga Bay, Wainui, Waikanae and Midway - were unsafe for swimming, warming people to steer clear.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand said heavy rainfall had “overwhelmed the city’s wastewater system”, contaminating the Taruheru and Tūranganui rivers, which flow into the sea.
Aside from a tent (see above), this is what you will need in your R&V arsenal:
For a detailed list of what you can and can’t bring, check the official list here.
Lana Andelane is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist. She was previously lifestyle editor at Newshub, where she began her career as a news producer in 2019. She enjoys writing about music, pop culture, fashion and beauty.
The Hollywood star is 70 but has no plans to retire from acting.