Festival for mental health to rock Cooks Gardens

Josie Verhaaren and Ahilan Saravanapavan of the Whanganui District Council Youth Committee are organising vibe. A music festival to be held at Cooks Gardens in December. Photo/ Bevan Conley

A youth-focused music festival aimed at raising awareness for mental health will rock Cooks Gardens in December.

Vibe is being headlined by Christchurch band Nomad and supported by a host of local acts.

The festival is being run by Whanganui District Council Youth Committee and organisers Josie Verhaaren and Ahilan Saravanapavan say proceeds from the event will go to Youthline.

"A big issue in Whanganui has been suicide in youth and we just really wanted to make an impact and have more awareness around mental wellbeing," Josie said.

"It's an important issue and it needs to be addressed somehow. Anything is good. There'll be resources there to encourage people to deal with things in good ways."

Drones also make the festival line up with support from youth artists Space Cactus, Joah's Arc, Maia, Bing's Sarcasm, Vin Almazan.

The committee held auditions earlier in the year to find local musicians to hire for the festival.

"We managed to get those acts and there's a lot of talent, actually," Josie said.

The festival will also have foodtrucks and information stalls from various organisations.

"It's going to be a really fun event," Josie said.

"And I think it is something the youth need as well because we don't have a music festival here and that's what teenagers love.

"I think it'll be a really positive thing for Whanganui and if it's successful we can definitely make it an annual event."

The pair said they were hoping for about 2000 people at the December 9 event they have been planning since July.

"I think it's beneficial that the youth committee are running it instead of council running it. We can see how those people feel and we can definitely engage more youth this way," Ahilan said.

"You learn a lot of things on the youth committee. It's only us two that are leading it but we have a lot of help from the rest of the team as well.

"We're going for the whole chill vibe, there's no pressure especially because it's after exams. We just want everyone to enjoy themselves."

Further strengthening the mental health focus of the festival is its collaboration with Nga Tai o te Awa's Hope Walk.

The youth committee has had help with sponsorship from local businesses.

And Ahilan said they would still consider adding further acts or stalls to the festival and interested parties can contact the Whanganui District Council Youth Committee Facebook page.

Tickets for Vibe are $10 and are available of the Eventfinder website or at the Whanganui i-Site.

Vibe music festival, December 9, Cooks Gardens Whanganui. For more information click here.