New Zealand's biggest New Year festival may be trading the vineyards of Gisborne for a disused sand quarry in the Waikato. Rhythm and Vines has confirmed it is exploring a potential new site in Tamahere, south of Hamilton, for the festival's life beyond 2026.
The site in question is a former sand quarry, now farmland planted mostly in maize, tucked behind the Waikato River Trail cycleway. Festival organisers have already fronted up to a packed public meeting with locals, walking them through a proposed festival layout and how a large-scale event could operate on the land. According to reports from the meeting, the reception was largely positive, with curiosity outweighing opposition. A second community open day is planned to keep the conversation going.
The next hurdle is formal: a resource consent application for large events, which organisers say they'll engage authorities on. If it stacks up, the site could host crowds of up to 30,000 - a scale that would make Tamahere a serious fixture on the summer calendar, and a notable boost for the local area's roads, businesses and profile.
The move would end one of New Zealand's great festival runs. First held in 2003 at Gisborne's Waiohika Estate, Rhythm and Vines built its reputation as the place to see in the New Year, drawing thousands to a sprawling 700,000 square metre estate for sunrise on the first day of the year. In July, organisers announced the festival would shift to an "undisclosed location" in 2027, closing a 24-year chapter at Waiohika.
This summer's edition is being billed as the last dance at the estate, and the lineup matches the occasion. International electronic heavyweights John Summit, Ki/Ki and Netsky top the bill, with homegrown acts including Benee and Sir Dave Dobbyn on board for the farewell.
Why should travellers care? If you've always meant to do Rhythm and Vines but never made it east, the Gisborne era is officially ending after this summer - making 2026 the final chance to experience the original. And if Tamahere gets the green light, the festival becomes far more accessible from Auckland and Hamilton, with the Waikato River Trail on its doorstep offering a reason to turn the trip into a longer summer getaway. Regulars will be watching closely: as one local pointed out, Gisborne brought a summery beach-town vibe that a Waikato dairy-and-maize setting simply can't replicate. Whether the festival can build another two-decade legacy on new ground is the open question - but the groundwork is already underway.
