Rhythm and Vines 2026: Dates, Lineup, Tickets and Travel Guide

Rhythm and Vines 2026 runs 28–31 December 2026 at Waiohika Estate, Gisborne: the campgrounds open with the Waiohika Warmup on 28 December, and the three festival days run 29–31 December 2026 ^{1 2}. If you only want the music, those three festival days are what a festival pass covers ¹.

The opening night on 28 December belongs to onsite campers. The organiser's home page says buying onsite camping is the only way to see Hamdi and the Waiohika Warmup crew on that night ⁶. A 3-day festival pass covers the three festival days but no campground and no Warmup ¹.

This edition is also a farewell. The festival began at Waiohika Estate in 2003, and the organiser has announced that the 2026 festival is the final one held there before a move to a new, undisclosed location in 2027 ². The 2026 edition carries the title Chapter 24: The Final Dance in Gisborne ².

The dates barely move from year to year, because the festival follows New Year's Eve rather than a lunar or religious calendar. The final night always ends with the countdown to 1 January, and the organiser bills the festival as one of the first places on Earth to welcome the new year ⁵. The first event ran on New Year's Eve only, and the three-day format of 29–31 December arrived as the festival grew ²⁰.

How the four dates of the 2026 edition break down ⁷:

• 28 December 2026: campground check-in with entry 09:30–21:00, then the campers-only Waiohika Warmup ^{6 7}

• 29 December 2026: first festival day, entry 09:30–21:00 ⁷

• 30 December 2026: second festival day, entry 13:00–21:00 ⁷

• 31 December 2026: third festival day, entry 13:00–21:00 and the midnight countdown ⁷

• 1 January 2027: pack-down, with the festival coach to Auckland leaving Gate B at 07:55 ¹⁵

Gates and campground check-in do not open early, and people who turn up before the official time wait outside ⁷.

Tip: Book the 4-day camping and festival pass if you want the Warmup, a tent among the vines and the New Year's Day sunrise from the slope; the 3-day pass gives no campground access ¹.

Every pass to Waiohika Estate is sold in price tiers, early bird, first release and final release, so the same pass costs more the later you buy, and entry is strictly R18 ^{1 3}. There is no free-entry area during the festival, so plan the pass before the flights.

For Rhythm and Vines 2026 at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne, the 3-day festival pass costs 359–449 NZD plus booking fee across the three release tiers, and a single-day pass for 29, 30 or 31 December starts at 179 NZD plus booking fee, as listed in October 2026 ¹.

The 4-day camping and festival passes cover 28–31 December 2026 and are priced by campground, as listed in October 2026 ¹:

• Meadow Camp: 479–569 NZD plus booking fee ¹Lil Treble Camp: 489–579 NZD plus booking fee ¹Bass Camp and Treble Camp: 509–599 NZD plus booking fee ¹Premium Camp: 589–679 NZD plus booking fee ¹Rhythm Camp: no tier prices shown on the tickets page ¹Add-ons sit on top of a pass. The Vintage Club VIP upgrade needs a valid 3-day or 4-day pass and adds a VIP area, viewing platforms, premium bars and better restrooms; limited single-day Vintage Club upgrades also exist ¹¹. The Gold Camp Upgrade adds express check-in, dedicated showers and flush toilets inside eligible campgrounds ¹. Festival bus passes start at 60 NZD plus booking fee in 2026 ¹.

The ticket rules catch more people than the prices. The name on your e-ticket must match your ID exactly, and name changes are not allowed on standalone festival, Vintage Club or camping tickets ³. The festival keeps a strict no-refunds policy, including for weather and changed acts, and service fees are never refunded ³. Wristbands are fitted so they cannot come off without breaking, and a damaged one will not get you back on site ³.

Tip: A pass bought from a stranger in someone else's name will not match your ID at the gate, and passes bought outside the official platform are not eligible for refunds ³.

Waiohika Estate sits at 75 Waimata Valley Road, about 11 km northwest of central Gisborne, at 38.593 S, 177.966 E ^{19 20}. Most visitors arrive by plane, long-distance coach or car, then use a festival bus or simply walk in from their campground.

By air. Gisborne Airport (GIS) sits in the suburb of Elgin, 4.2 km from the city centre, with domestic flights to Auckland and Wellington ¹⁷. International visitors usually land in Auckland and connect. Seats into Gisborne go quickly in the days before 28 December, so book flights as soon as you hold a pass.

By festival coach. For Rhythm and Vines 2026, a national coach operator runs a dedicated service on 28 December 2026 from central Auckland at 08:30, via Hamilton, Rotorua and Whakatāne, reaching the Gate B entrance on Waimata Valley Road at 18:32 ¹⁵. The return leaves Gate B at 07:55 on 1 January 2027 and reaches Auckland at 18:20 ¹⁵.

By festival bus. Shuttles between Gisborne and Waiohika Estate are the main link for anyone staying in town, and they pick up at six official stops ⁸:

• Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne city

• Gisborne i-SITE

• Wainui

• Kaiti School

• Gisborne Girls' High School

• Lytton West Shops

Leaving the festival, buses drop off only at Wainui, Fitzherbert Street and the i-SITE ⁸. In 2026 they run 13:30–02:00 on 29 and 30 December and 13:30–06:00 on 31 December, and bus passes start at 60 NZD plus booking fee ^{1 8}. Buses get crowded at peak arrival and departure times, so leave extra time ⁸.

By car or taxi. Driving from Auckland or Wellington takes most of a day on State Highway 2, and priority parking at the site was sold out in October 2026 ¹. Taxis and rideshares may run, but the festival expects high demand at the end of each night and asks drivers not to stop on roads, accessways or private property ¹³.

Tip: Staying in Kaiti or near Lytton West? You can catch a bus from near home, but the late return only drops in the city or at Wainui, so plan a walk or a taxi for the last stretch.

The Rhythm and Vines 2026 lineup at Waiohika Estate, Gisborne, is led by John Summit, Ki/Ki, Netsky, 1991, Benee, Friction presents Synergy, Hamdi, Luude, Mall Grab, Sir Dave Dobbyn and Vince Staples, with more than 50 acts listed ⁴. The artists page showed no day splits or set times in October 2026 ⁴.

The bill mixes international house and drum and bass with New Zealand names. Past headliners include Kid Cudi, Calvin Harris, Tame Impala and Ice Spice, alongside local acts such as L.A.B., Fat Freddy's Drop and Six60 ¹⁶. Te Wehi and Hori Shaw are billed for a set called The Final Sunset, a nod to the last night in Gisborne ⁴.

How the four days run in 2026 ^{7 8}:

• 28 December: the Waiohika Warmup for onsite campers, with Hamdi ⁶

• 29 December: first festival day, entry 09:30–21:00 and buses 13:30–02:00 ^{7 8}

• 30 December: second festival day, entry 13:00–21:00 and buses 13:30–02:00 ^{7 8}

• 31 December: third festival day, the countdown and sets into 1 January, with buses 13:30–06:00 ⁸

The stage names you will hear most are the Rhythm Stage, the Cellar Stage, the Garden stage and the Vines Stage, with the Vines Village food court in the middle of the site ⁹. The founders chose the vineyard for its natural amphitheatre, so the main arena works as a slope rather than a flat field ¹⁶. Without VIP, the sides of that slope give a clearer view of the main stage than the packed middle.

Vintage Club holders get raised viewing platforms, with Vintage Club hours of 14:00–midnight on 29 and 30 December and 14:00–06:00 on 31 December ¹¹. That last window shows how long the final night runs: the music carries on past midnight towards the first light of 1 January.

The countdown itself is the centrepiece. The organiser's tagline for the farewell edition is "Farewell the last night, welcome the first light", and the slope facing east over the hills is where most people stay after midnight ⁵.

Tip: On 31 December, pick your countdown stage by 22:00 and stay there; the paths between the Rhythm Stage and the Cellar Stage clog in the last hour before midnight.

Late December in Gisborne is early summer: hot afternoons on an open slope, mild nights and the chance of heavy rain. At Gisborne Airport in December 2024, the mean daily high was 24.6°C, the mean daily low 15.0°C and rainfall reached 230 mm for the month ¹⁸. That wet month is a useful warning, because the festival is an all-weather event and is not cancelled for bad weather ³.

For Rhythm and Vines 2026 at Waiohika Estate near Gisborne, campers should arrive on 28 December 2026, when entry runs 09:30–21:00, and town stayers should aim for the first afternoon buses at 13:30 on 29 December 2026 ^{7 8}. Arriving early in the window gets you a flatter pitch and a shorter queue at check-in.

Expected crowd level by day, on a scale of 1 to 5:

• 28 December: 2 of 5, campers only

• 29 December: 3 of 5, with queues at the gates through the afternoon

• 30 December: 4 of 5

• 31 December: 5 of 5, the countdown night

The scale has grown a long way from the first event, which drew about 1,800 people ¹⁶. By 2013 the festival drew an estimated 25,000 ¹⁶.

What to pack for the weather and the site:

• Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses for afternoon sets on an open slope

• A warm layer and a rain jacket for after midnight; the terms ask attendees to bring warm and wet-weather gear ³

• An empty reusable bottle, because full containers are not allowed through security and glass is banned everywhere ¹⁰

• A rubber, wooden or plastic mallet for tent pegs, since metal-head hammers are banned ³

• A portable charger, which the festival recommends ¹⁰

• Shoes that cope with dust on hot days and wet grass after rain

Tip: Most heat trouble happens in the afternoon, not at night. Drink water between sets and find shade under the trees around Meadow Camp.

Book a campground inside Waiohika Estate if you can: onsite camping is the only way into the Waiohika Warmup, and it removes the late bus home ⁶. Camping comes as a 4-day camping and festival pass rather than a separate add-on, and campgrounds open from 28 December ¹.

The six campgrounds and where they sit ⁹:

• Treble Camp: the largest and most popular, close to the entrance and the Grand Central food court

• Lil Treble Camp: next to Treble Camp and the closest to the festival car park

• Bass Camp: in the heart of the site beside the Vines Village food court, near the Cellar Stage

• Rhythm Camp: a boutique site between the Cellar Stage, Vines Village and the Rhythm Stage

• Meadow Camp: behind the Rhythm Stage and bar, in a spacious field ringed by trees

• Premium Camp: priority check-in plus flush toilets and showers inside the campground

For Rhythm and Vines 2026 at Waiohika Estate, Gisborne, some campgrounds may have limited availability by October 2026 ¹. The central camps go first, so buy camping in the early bird release.

Camping rules are strict. BYO alcohol is not allowed onsite, and glass is banned everywhere ¹⁰. You may bring snacks that need no cooking and up to six unopened non-alcoholic cans per person, while cooking gear, gas bottles, generators and large speakers stay at home ¹⁰. Once checked in, you can leave and re-enter your campground as long as you wear your campground wristband. Pre-pitched tents are available for hire, but bedding is not included ¹.

If you would rather sleep in a bed, stay in central Gisborne near Fitzherbert Street or the i-SITE, where festival buses stop in both directions, or in Wainui, the beach suburb with its own stop ⁸. Kaiti and Lytton West have outbound pick-ups only ⁸. Holiday homes and motels in a city this size fill quickly over New Year, so book as soon as you hold a pass.

Tip: Friends who want to pitch together must be booked into the same campground and arrive at check-in together, so buy as a group rather than one by one.

Expect patchy reception at the busiest moments: the festival's own FAQ warns that phone reception may be limited during busy periods and tells attendees to charge their phones before leaving ¹³. Waiohika Estate is a vineyard in the Waimata Valley, so plan on your own mobile data rather than any public Wi-Fi to keep your ticket, wristband balance and group chat working.

At Rhythm and Vines 2026, the strain on the network will peak on 31 December 2026 at Waiohika Estate near Gisborne, when the biggest crowd of the festival tries to film and send the midnight countdown at once. Messages arrive slowly and video uploads stall. Short texts and voice notes get through more often than video calls, so send the important ones before the last hour of the year.

What festival-goers actually use data for at Waiohika:

• The e-ticket shown at the gate alongside photo ID ³

• Checking and topping up the cashless wristband account ³

• The day's festival bus timetable, which can change by day ⁸

• Live location to find a tent row or a group after dark

• Video calls home at midnight, the heaviest use of the trip

How much data you need depends on video. Maps, messages and wristband top-ups use little, while posting stories from every headline set and video-calling home on 31 December uses far more. Heavy posters should pick a larger plan than they would for a city break, and everyone should keep a power bank in the bag.

Tip: Save the onsite helpline 3960 and the emergency number 111 before you arrive, since both work from any phone and calls get through when data does not ¹².