Winterless North to bring cheer to shortest days with mid-winter festival

Far North musical great Troy Kingi will help brighten up the shortest day of the year at the Brews, Beats & Eats Winterless Festival in Kerikeri on June 27

Northland may be known as the Winterless North, but locals know that winter still bites. Now a new festival in Kerikeri is promising to warm things up with hāngī, craft beer and a lineup headlined by hometown music heavyweight Troy Kingi.

The Brews, Beats & Eats Winterless Festival promises a stellar lineup of musicat Kerikeri’s Turner Centre.

Kingi is in the final year of his ambitious 10, 10, 10 project – 10 albums of 10 different genres in 10 years, with album number nine, Dark Lords, which is a finalist in the NZ Music Awards album of the year category, released late last year.

This will be Northland doing what it does best – music, food and community, all under one roof to help put some fun into the short winter days.

Waiata by the Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka Group will kick off the evening.

Kiwi musician Laughton Kora will perform at the Winterless Festival in Kerikeri on June 27 with Black Comet

Kingi, with his full band, alongside Black Comet featuring Laughton Kora, will follow and the night closes out with DJ Big G on turntables – vinyl only.

People can fuel up on a traditional hāngī feast paired with craft beers from Northland breweries Kainui, McCleods and PhatHouse, plus cocktails at the Blackcollar Bar.

Early bird tickets are from $25 for the first 100 only from www.iticket.co.nz/events/2026/jun/winterless with the Winterless Festival running from 6pm to 11pm.

■ The shortest day in New Zealand this year is Sunday, June 21. This date marks the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, offering the least amount of daylight and the longest night of the year as the Earth’s axis tilts furthest away from the sun. Significance: The day is associated with the Māori New Year, Matariki

While June 21 is the official shortest day, the earliest sunset often occurs a few days before (around June 14), and the latest sunrise occurs a few days after (around June 28).

Northland is called the Winterless North because it has the warmest, mildest climate in New Zealand, featuring subtropical conditions with mild, wet winters and warm summers. Average winter maximum temperatures are between 14C and 17C, with rarely more than a few light frosts. It offers high sunshine hours, making it a popular year-round destination.