Rhythm and Vines

Rhythm and Vines takes place Dec 28 - 31, 2026 in Gisborne, New Zealand. The dress code is Summer festival gear with hat and sunscreen; warmer layer for the pre-dawn New Year sunrise and sturdy shoes for vineyard grounds. Typical cost ranges from 400 to 900 EUR per person.

Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne, New Zealand
Photograph by MatttiMatti0000, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia.

A multi-day music festival among the vines of Waiohika Estate near Gisborne, staged so revellers greet the world's first New Year sunrise on New Zealand's East Cape. It fuses international and Kiwi acts with wine country and a summer camping party atmosphere. Strictly 18+, it sells out to a young, celebratory crowd every year.

When
Dec 28 - 31, 2026
Where
Gisborne, New Zealand
Dress code
Summer festival gear with hat and sunscreen; warmer layer for the pre-dawn New Year sunrise and sturdy shoes for vineyard grounds
Cost
Typical cost ranges from 400 to 900 EUR per person.
Weather
20 - 26C warm, often sunny summer days, cooler overnight for campers
When to book
Passes and camping release via the official site around mid-year and sell out before the lineup - buy early and book Gisborne rooms immediately
Getting there
GIS (Gisborne), 15 min to Waiohika Estate
Where to stay
Portside Hotel Gisborne, Emerald Hotel Gisborne
Official site
https://www.rhythmandvines.co.nz/

How to attend

Buy festival and camping passes via rhythmandvines.co.nz once released, usually around mid-year and often before the lineup; it is strictly 18+ with ID required. Combine your ticket with an on-site camping pass or book Gisborne accommodation immediately, as the small city fills completely over New Year.

Buy tickets

Insider tip

Stay for the finale - the whole point is greeting the world's first sunrise of the new year from the vineyard hilltop, so pace your New Year's Eve.

Get inside Rhythm and Vines

Booking matters here: passes and camping release via the official site around mid-year and sell out before the lineup - buy early and book Gisborne rooms immediately. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.

Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.