Rhythm and Vines announces final festival at Gisborne’s Waiohika Estate

Rhythm and Vines organisers have confirmed this year’s festival will be the final edition held at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne, bringing its historic 24-year chapter in the region to a close.

“The move will support the festival’s long-term future and continued evolution, with Rhythm and Vines relocating to a new, undisclosed location in 2027,” a press release says.

“Plans are well underway for one final dance at Waiohika Estate this summer, with the first release of artists performing at Rhythm and Vines 2026 to be announced next Wednesday July 29, at 5:30pm.

Rhythm and Vines Festival chief executive Kieran Spillane said: “Gisborne has been the heart and home of Rhythm and Vines for nearly a quarter of a century”.

“We are incredibly proud of what we have built alongside the community, and deeply grateful to everyone who has helped create 24 years of New Year’s magic at Waiohika Estate.”

First held in 2003, Rhythm and Vines has become “a defining part of New Zealand’s summer festival calendar and a rite of passage for generations of Kiwis”.

“Over the past 24 years, hundreds of thousands of music lovers have travelled to Gisborne to welcome the new year, contributing to the region’s visitor economy and creating memories through music, friendship and shared celebration.

“We want to make sure we give Gisborne and Waiohika Estate the send-off it truly deserves – and we believe that this year’s line-up will deliver just that,” Spillane said.

While the 2026 festival will bring the Gisborne chapter to a close, Rhythm and Vines “looks forward to welcoming future generations to its new location”.

Details of the festival’s future location are yet to be announced.

After the announcement, Spillane told the Gisborne Herald the decision had not been an easy one, but accessibility and Gisborne’s remote location had been part of it.

“We have to adapt to how the festival culture is changing by moving somewhere that’s more accessible and will allow us more capacity and the ability to scale up.”

Cost pressures such as increased artists’ fees were one of the many factors that contributed.

“The cost of putting on a festival has grown, artists’ fees have grown, so it certainly is a factor. To counteract those we sometimes need to sell a few more tickets.”

Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz was “saddened” by the news.

“I had heard some murmurings earlier in the year, but I met with Kieran Spillane and Kyle Bell, the organisers, earlier today and I really appreciate that they flew to Gisborne to deliver the news face to face.

“We all have our R&V stories. I just dug up an old 2013 photo of Deon [her husband] and myself at R&V. That was the year Kim Dotcom was still performing, so everyone will have their stories and their memories.

“Twenty-four years is a good stint, but I am sure people will be saddened because everyone enjoyed the vibrancy and the fun and the memories and the friendships, and bringing young people to town.”

Stoltz was hopeful further opportunities would arise for events in the region.

“We know that our region [knows] how to put our best foot forward to host guests. We showed for 24 years how well we’ve done it, so now it is an opportunity for us to possibly find something else to fill that spot.

“We know we’re a beautiful part of the country. We know that we have venues that are world-class and for us now there is an opportunity to see what else we can do in that space.”

A R&V commissioned economic impact survey in 2024 estimated the event boosted the local gross domestic product by $4.2m, up from $3.22m in 2018.

The survey also said visitor expenditure that year reached $5.2m, a 73% increase on their average spend.