Rhythm and Vines Announces Final Gisborne Edition - 24th Festival to Close at Waiohika Estate

Rhythm and Vines will host its 24th and final New Year’s Eve festival at Waiohika Estate near Gisborne on 29‑31 December 2026. The organisers have confirmed that the 2026 event will be the last to take place at the vineyard that has been the festival’s home since its launch in 2003.

The announcement marks the end of a 24‑year partnership with the Waiohika Estate vineyard, a site that has become synonymous with the festival’s identity. Organisers said the 2026 edition will be branded “Chapter 24: The Final Dance in Gisborne” and will be the last to use the estate’s grounds before the festival moves to a new location.

Rhythm and Vines began as a one‑day New Year’s Eve gathering in 2003, organised by University of Otago friends Hamish Pinkham, Tom Gibson and Andrew Witters. The inaugural line‑up featured The Black Seeds and other New Zealand acts, and the event was held on the Witters family property. Attendance grew quickly; a second stage was added in 2004 and the festival reached about 15 000 people by 2006. In 2008 the event expanded to a three‑day format, running from 29 December to 31 December, allowing organisers to book a broader mix of international and local artists.

Over the years the festival has hosted a wide range of performers. International acts have included Public Enemy, Franz Ferdinand, Carl Cox, Moby, Empire of the Sun, Justice, N.E.R.D., Calvin Harris, Mark Ronson, Tame Imapala, Bastille, Chance The Rapper, Disclosure, Alison Wonderland, Central Cee, Ice Spice and Kid Cudi. New Zealand artists such as Shihad, Six60, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Black Seeds, Dave Dobbyn, L.A.B. and Dragon have also performed.

The festival has added significant production elements over time. In 2014 it introduced the Arcadia Afterburner stage from Glastonbury Festival, reinforcing its reputation as one of New Zealand’s premier live music events.

Rhythm and Vines has survived challenges, including the COVID‑19 pandemic, which forced the 2021 edition to be postponed until Easter 2022. The festival remains a fixture of the country’s summer calendar.

Ticketing details for the final Gisborne edition are as follows:

First line‑up announcement – Wednesday 29 July, 5.30 pm NZST One NZ presale – Monday 3 August, 10.00 am NZST * Rhythm and Vines Legends presale – Tuesday 4 August, 12.00 pm NZST

The festival’s official website, rhythmandvines.co.nz, will provide further information.

Organisers have not yet disclosed the new venue for the festival after 2026, but they have stated that Rhythm and Vines will continue beyond that year.

The final Gisborne edition will bring together long‑time attendees and new visitors for a closing celebration of an era that has seen the festival grow from a modest local gathering to a major international event.

The announcement was made by the festival’s organisers, who thanked festival patrons and the Gisborne community for their support over the past 24 years. They noted that Gisborne has welcomed generations of Kiwis and festival lovers, helping to create the event’s reputation as a premier New Year’s destination.

The final edition will therefore be a milestone for the festival and its supporters, marking the end of a chapter that has defined New Zealand’s New Year’s Eve celebrations for almost a quarter of a century.