Gisborne’s Ice Block electronic music winter rave returns to Smash Palace with top DJs and climate theme

BrazilBeat Sound System, pictured at Smash Palace in Gisborne, will headline the upcoming Ice Block rave next month.

The local artist lineup at an upcoming electronic music rave will bring the heat during the depths of winter at Gisborne’s Smash Palace.

Ice Block will feature two stages of music (one indoor, one outdoor) and visual projections with an overarching theme of climate change and its effects on the Earth’s ice regions.

The R18 event takes place at 8pm on Saturday, July 12.

Headliners BrazilBeat Sound System bring an eclectic mix of styles to their sets, including jungle, drum and bass, reggaeton and Brazilian baile-funk, and elevate the live performance element with Nego Beto on live percussion.

Jamil Sabda, at 21, is an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with in the music scene.

Born and raised in Gisborne, he now lives and works in Auckland. He plays regularly at venues, spinning house and UK garage.

His music journey includes creating a DJ collective called NoMoney4U and performing at Rhythm and Vines in 2024.

Peta Norris is known for his onslaught of heavy bass beats, always a crowd favourite.

Dizfunk (CJ Houkamau) joins his profound hip-hop sensibilities with a penchant for house and drum and bass, always uplifting the crowd.

DJ Magick (Duncan Chisholm) weaves his sets full of sing-along classics and remixes that keep the dancefloor pumping.

DJose (Joseph Meredith), purveyor of funky and disco house music, brings excitement and emotion to the four-on-the-floor rhythms.

BrazilBeat Sound System's eclectic sets include jungle, drum and bass, reggaeton and Brazilian baile-funk.

The first Ice Block took place in 2018 at the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre, featuring a range of music and visual artists, and moved to Smash Palace the following year, where it has happened every year except 2020 (Covid lockdown).

Organisers say the event will go ahead in any weather, and urged ravers to secure tickets in advance to avoid disappointment at the door.

Tickets are on sale from the non-profit site Humanitix.com.