The 121 Festival crew is ready for 5000 ravers this weekend.
Summer might have come to a close, but the party has only just begun in Wairarapa.
Up to 5000 guests are expected to attend 121 Festival over the weekend at Tauherenikau Racecourse.
Festival director and head of marketing Olly De Salis says 121 focuses on music, art, wellness, food, markets and camping.
“It’s sort of an all-encompassing vibe,” he said.
“Our slogan is a ‘three-day dance odyssey’, so that’s kind of a welcome to an adventure into a fairytale land to dance and drink and celebrate life over three days.”
As the parties grew in popularity, the 121 nightclub opened on Cambridge Terrace and was a popular dance venue.
The 121 nightclub changed hands in December last year, which allowed the organisational team to focus its attention on hosting three-day dance odysseys.
“We make 121 stand out by sort of bringing an essence of Europe and the South Americas, Americas and beyond, and bringing it to New Zealand on a large scale,” De Salis said.
The line-up listed 40 international DJs and 40 local artists, bands and DJs.
“We also have a really big focus on stage design and sound systems, making sure that experience is really good for customers.”
121 Festival will host dedicated welfare zones and wellness spaces, encouraging yoga, laughter and holistic workshops alongside the music.
“We really want to make sure our community is welcomed and also feel safe in our environment,” De Salis said.
121 hosted its first festival in 2020, but Covid restrictions postponed the event for three years.
De Salis said it was a tough time for the events industry.
“It’s been an interesting summer with lots of weather, and with portaloos and infrastructure going up to the Hawke’s Bay, you have to have room in a team to have flexibility and be able to move the parameters sometimes. So everyone goes through it.”
The festival boasts a range of music and house and techno dominates the line-up, owed to the festival’s influential European club scene.
De Salis said many European DJs would be at 121.
“There’s also some really amazing bands playing on the Koroī stage,” he said.
“Some of my personal favourites I think will be Interplanetary Criminal and Main Phase, who’ll be playing in the Dance Tunnel. That’s going to be really amazing.
“We’ve got two Berghain residents; Tama Sumo and Lakuti coming over. Obviously Christopher Tubbs will be playing his tunes in there as well, but I think everybody is going to be phenomenal.”
The weather forecast is sunny and dry all weekend, so instead of gumboots, dancers would need sunblock and sun hats.
“Top tips for festival goers would be: Make sure you drink water, make sure you bring lots of snacks, eat food, put on sunblock, and just be friendly to everyone,”
