Thousands of Kiwis will be chasing the pursuit of happiness – and singing it too – in Tairāwhiti Gisborne this New Year’s, Eve with US rap and TV megastar Kid Cudi announced as the headliner for the Rhythm and Vines music festival.
The Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare) hitmaker will join drum and bass stalwart Wilkinson, hardcore punk band Turnstile, and plenty of other local and international acts as part of the line-up set to perform at Waiohika Estate from December 29-31.
Cudi (real name Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi) first gained major attention in 2007 with his hit single Day ‘n’ Nite, which sent the internet into a frenzy after originally being released on MySpace. His music, which blends rap, rock and alternative genres, often addresses themes of mental health and expression of feeling.
He’s since gone on to record 11 solo studio albums and star in multiple TV shows and films, including a lead role in How To Make It In America, and as Jackson in the horror movie X, which he filmed in Whanganui in 2021.
Mescudi has also won two Grammy Awards for his collaboration with rapper Kanye West in 2010’s All of the Lights, composed music for and produced feature films, and designed clothes under the brand WZRD. He later collaborated with West for the 2018 album Kids See Ghosts, which also garnered critical acclaim.
Turnstile, who garnered rave reviews from their latest performance at Glastonbury, are set to hit Kiwi shores for the first time since 2023. The punk rockers played a high-energy Laneway pre-party set at Auckland’s Powerstation, despite the main festival not going ahead because of the Auckland Anniversary Floods.
Wilkinson, well known for his drum and bass anthem Afterglow with Becky Hill, is a Rhythm and Vines staple and will likely perform a DJ set packed with songs from his more-than-a-decade-long career.
Other highlights of the first announcement of the line-up include comedy electronic act Marc Rebillet, English electronic acts Maribou State and Kanine, and Kiwi acts Lance Savali, Hori Shaw and L.A.B. More performers are set to be revealed closer to the event, with close to 100 acts tipped for the final line-up.
Now in its 23rd year, Rhythm and Vines is regarded as one of the most popular and well-attended New Year’s festivals in Australasia, having attracted more than 375,000 people to Gisborne since its inception in 2003.
It was founded by high school friends Hamish Pinkham, Andrew Witters and Tom Gibson, with global events company Live Nation acquiring a majority stake in 2018.
On average, about 15,000-18,000 campers arrive at the festival each year from December 28, spread across numerous on-site campsites for multiple days of music until the morning of January 1. The town of Gisborne also experiences an uptick in visitor tourism, with motels and hotels selling out well in advance.
After the area was hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, the festival raised $40,000 for the Gisborne Mayoral Relief Fund, with proceeds this year set to go to local charity SugerGrans Tairāwhiti.
Rhythm and Vines 2025/26
Waiohika Estate, Gisborne – December 28 (campers), 29, 30 and 31.
All earlybird and first release tickets sold out earlier this year. However, a limited allocation of tickets have been made available to One NZ and Rhythm and Vines customers.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.