La De Da builds on success

Organisers of the second La De Da music festival near Martinborough at New Year are promising a bigger, better and brighter spectacle this time around.

Festival director Josh Mossman said more than 10,000 New Year festival-goers were expected at the expansive Dry River Rd site, which will offer onsite parking, camping, and food and wine courts for the two-day concert starting on New Year's Eve.

The shift to Dry River Rd from the inaugural site at Alana Estate last year stirred contention among some neighbouring residents, although festival organisers won a three-year resource consent for the event despite the fears of drunken revellers, traffic chaos and excessive noise.

Mr Mossman said about 5000 people would descend on the site in a first-wave of party-goers from about 10am on Friday for the opening notes of the concert.

The festival bill features a cabal of live and electronic beats including Kiwi acts Six60, Fat Freddy's Drop, Katchafire, Sola Rosa, and Kora and international performers ranging from Donovan Frankenreiter, SKisM, and Blue King Brown to The Upbeats, MC Lowqui, Dodge & Fuski, and Eddie K.

He said the R18 event would offer revellers a VIP area, a La De Vino wine village, stocking Wairarapa wines, and a food village with fare made from Wairarapa-produced vegetables and meats.

"This year we want to give a taste of Martinborough as well as La De Da. And the site is so massive party-goers can park, sleep, eat and drink onsite - it's totally holistic."

He said pre-concert entertainment included Fuse Circus, a 36m Coca-Cola obstacle course, and a four-court Red Bull volleyball tournament complete with grandstand.

Mr Mossman said La De Da was set to build on the "raging success of last year" and create a New Year atmosphere "like no other".

"The first La De Da went off with a bang, but this year we want to blow people's expectations away, and treat them to a bigger and better party to ensure their New Year's Eve experience is nothing short of epic."

He said most tickets had been sold but there were still some available at information centres throughout Wairarapa and online at 1-night.co.nz.

La De Da countdown

• 
  More than 10,000 festival-goers
• 
  More than 30 Kiwi and international performers and acts
• 
  A 5sq km site
• 
  More than 150 portaloos
• 
  150,000 units of liquid
• 
  Four 6m containers of fresh and frozen food10,000 expected at music festival at New Year