Ringing in the New Year: 10 big New Year's Eve gigs

Wellington's finest purveyors of psychedelic pop The Phoenix Foundation will join forces with bluesy psych-rock three-piece The Nudge to throw the capital's biggest NYE party at the Queen's Wharf Ballroom. Photo / Supplied

Here is TimeOut's annual pick of the 10 big gigs for New Year's Eve.

Rhythm and Vines
It may be a six-hour-plus drive from Auckland, but it's still the biggest and longest New Year's Eve party on offer. Once you get to Gisborne, well, it is beautiful. Plus, when you're not busy choosing between the 60 acts offered over four stages - including Pendulum, Calvin Harris, Cut Copy, Grandmaster Flash, David Dallas, Electric Wire Hustle and British act Example bringing in the New Year - you can head to the beach for a swim.

When: Dec 29-31
Where: Waiohika Estate, Gisborne
Tickets: Single and three-day passes, plus camping available through 1-night.co.nz

Northern Bass
For a day-and-night-long fix of drum'n'bass and dubstep look no further than this party in the Bay of Islands. Dubbed the "sub-tropical meets sub-bass" festival it features top overseas names such as drum'n'bass exponent Andy C, London dubstepper Distance, and a line-up of locals led by sonic dubstep duo Truth.

When: December 31, 1pm
Where: Haruru Falls, Paihia
Tickets: $99-$129 at iTicket.co.nz

Stereodays NYE 2012
If you want to get your oonst on this New Year then Stereodays is the place to be with more than 45 dance acts and DJs doing their thing across three zones. Headlining the 10-hour event, and no doubt playing into the wee small hours is hard-dance DJ Future Resonance, with hard house exponent Kevsey D among the many others.

When: New Years Eve, 9pm
Where: 519 Club, 519 Ellerslie Panmure Highway, Auckland
Tickets: $50 from iTicket.co.nz, 1-night.co.nz, and Beat Merchants, Conch, and Real Groovy.

The Phoenix Foundation and The Nudge
Wellington's finest purveyors of psychedelic pop The Phoenix Foundation will join forces with bluesy psych-rock three-piece The Nudge to throw the capital's biggest NYE party at the Queen's Wharf Ballroom.

And then apparently the party will continue in Foxglove till 4am with a huge line up of Welly and Auckland DJs.

When: from 8pm
Where: Queens Wharf Ballroom, Wellington
Tickets: $50 through dashtickets.co.nz

LatinAotearoa
Find your dancing shoes and sharpen those salsa moves with Bobbie Brazuka, Isaac Aesili and Jennifer Zea performing as LatinAotearoa up at the picturesque Leigh Sawmill. Aesili's new act Funkommunity will also be performing material from their debut album, Chequered Thoughts.

When: 9pm to 2am
Where: Leigh Sawmill Cafe
Tickets: $50 from Conch Records or Leigh Sawmill

Jimmy Barnes, Dragon, Hello Sailor
The Aussie working class man joins up with a bunch of New Zealand's working class lads for a night of rock'n'roll revelry. And if there are three acts who know how to party, it's this lot. It may not be quite as wild as the good old days, but rest assured the songs - like Working Class Man (Barnesy), Rain (Dragon) and Blue Lady (Hello Sailor) - will still sound the same.

When: December 31, 7pm
Where: Ascension Wine Estate, Matakana
Tickets: $72.50 at Ticketmaster.co.nz

The Highlife New Year's Eve Experience
Returning once again to Matakana Country Park, this year's event will feature five areas of music accompanied by an array of themed party and chill-out areas. Expect a range of genres presented by local and international artists including Crazy P, Vandalism, and Ugly Duckling.

When: 4pm to 4am
Where: Matakana Country Park
Tickets: $105 through iticket.co.nz
Age Restrictions: R19

The Gunslingers Ball
Moving on up to the iconic central Auckland venue of The Kings Arms, The Gunslingers Ball will be a right hoe-down of a party, featuring Bernie Griffin and the Grifters, Heart Attack Alley, The Broadsides, The Situations, Live Nudes, and Gundry Blues.

When: 7pm onwards
Where: The Kings Arms, Newton
Tickets: $20, undertheradar.co.nz

Happen Inn 60s Show
This is part of the Party in the Park Summer Series being held at Puhoi Valley Cafe.

With an emphasis on blues and jazz, they will be ushering in 2012 with a look back at the music of the 60s with performances by Shane, Larry Morris and Billy TK Jnr.

With local cheese and wine on offer.

When: 6pm onwards
Where: Puhoi Valley Cafe
Tickets: $35 presales through the venue

End
1885 Britomart and the Britomart Country Club are putting on a little something for those who are staying Auckland, with a electro-heavy gig featuring electropop party duo Computers Want Me Dead, Arash, Tido, Flex, and Insomniac.

When: from 9pm.
Where: 1885 and Britomart Country Club
Tickets: $20 door sales

-TimeOut