Best Music Festivals Of New Zealand You Must Visit

Best Music Festivals of New Zealand

Festival	Venue	Date	Cost	Website
Laneway Festival	Auckland CBD	30 January	$159.90 + $2.80 BF	auckland.lanewayfestival.com
Splore Music Festival	Tapapakanga Regional Park, 1 hour from Auckland	17 – 19 February	$245 + booking fee (tier two: $275 + booking fee if sold out)	splore.net
Homegrown Music Festival	Wellington waterfront	4 March	$119 + booking fee	homegrown.net.nz
Rhythm and Alps Music Festival	South Island (December 30-31 – dates not confirmed)	To be announced	To be announced	rhythmandalps.co.nz

Whether you’re into electronic beats, indie vibes, rock anthems, or soulful reggae, there’s a festival here for you.

Music festivals in New Zealand have a long and chequered history. The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival, held in 1973, was the first large outdoor rock music festival in the country.

The largest was the 1979 Nambassa festival, one of several Nambassa festivals held around that time in Golden Valley, just north of Waihi.

New Zealand may be small in size, but when it comes to music festivals, it delivers world-class experiences. From multi-day camping festivals to city-based events featuring global superstars, NZ’s festival scene is diverse, scenic, and unforgettable. Whether you’re into electronic beats, indie vibes, rock anthems, or soulful reggae, there’s a festival here for you.

In this guide, we explore the best music festivals in New Zealand, when they happen, what makes them special, and why they deserve a spot on your bucket list.

There are regular jazz, folk, ethnic, and country music awards and festivals, some of which have existed for decades.

Another popular one was the Parachute Music Festival, a Christian music festival held in New Zealand.

It was one of the largest music festivals in New Zealand and the largest Christian music festival.

However, on March 27, 2014, Parachute Music released a statement on its Facebook and website announcing that the Parachute Music Festival would no longer run.

This year, New Zealand’s epic scenery is home to some truly amazing music festivals, and here are five of the best to enjoy.

1. Laneway Festival

Laneway Festival- 30 January — Laneway Festival

One of New Zealand’s favourite music festivals is the Laneway Festival, which will start in January with a bang.

Previous artists have included Angus & Julia Stone, Banks and Belle & Sebastian. This St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival is about leading new and revered seminal music.

The festival has always been interested in finding what’s fresh and bringing it to unique settings and surroundings that music lovers can appreciate.

The size of the festivals, their locations, and the way they encourage community all contribute to the Laneway team’s striving to present a live music experience like no other.

For more info, visit auckland.lanewayfestival.com

2. Splore Music Festival

Splore Music Festival- 17 - 19 February — Splore Music Festival

This is a three-day festival favoured by NZ locals. It is a little more low-key and takes place on the shores of the Tapapakanga area.

Located just 50 km southwest of Auckland, this three-day music festival respects the ancient land. Previous years have brought massive lineups, so stay tuned for yet another epic list of local and international artists. This is one of the most popular music festivals in New Zealand.

A fun-filled weekend of music, arts, culture, and community.

Splore Festival is located just 70 km southeast of Auckland CBD and features a stunning beachside location, an eclectic lineup of world-class local and international music, a dynamic visual arts program, a diverse range of performances, a dedicated kids’ zone, a range of workshops, spoken word, forums, sustainability, and theme camps.

The Splore kaupapa is about celebrating arts and culture with a community of likeminded people who love and respect our environment.

Tapapakanga Park is a precious and beautiful coastal park that offers safe swimming on a pohutukawa-fringed coastline.

With a freshwater lagoon and stunning vistas over the Coromandel peninsula, you will be able to come together on this sacred land with significant historical stories with the Tangata Whenua Ngati Whanaunga, Ngati Paoa, the Ashby family, and the Auckland Council.

For more info, visit: http://splore.net

3. Homegrown Music Festival

Homegrown Music Festival- 4 March — Homegrown Music Festival

Probably one of New Zealand’s longest-running and most popular music festivals with 7 stages and 57 Acts rocking the stages year after year. This is the ultimate festival to check local Kiwi music in New Zealand’s very own capital of cool.

For more info, visit www.homegrown.net.nz

4. Rhythm and Vines – Gisborne

Rhythm and Vines is one of the most iconic music festivals in NZ, famous worldwide for being the first festival to welcome the New Year. Set among vineyards in Gisborne, this three-day festival blends top international acts with stunning scenery and an unbeatable party atmosphere.

For more infor, visit here.

Conclusion

New Zealand has cool music festivals set in beautiful places. There’s Laneway Festival in Auckland, Splore in Tapapakanga Regional Park, and Homegrown Music Festival in Wellington.

Then there’s the Rhythm and Vines Festival, and various others. These festivals celebrate music, art, and community, offering something for everyone and adding to New Zealand’s culture.