Rhythm and Vines

Rhythm and Vines began in 2003 as a student idea and became the country's best-known New Year festival: three days at a vineyard outside Gisborne, running 29 to 31 December, with the pitch built on geography - Gisborne is among the first cities in the world to see the sunrise, so the crowd sees in the new year and then watches the first dawn of it. The line-up mixes international and New Zealand acts across dance, hip-hop and rock, and the audience skews young, largely eighteen to twenty-five, with a substantial share arriving straight out of school exams. That character is worth knowing before booking: it is a large, loud, hot camping festival, not a wine event despite the setting. Gisborne's accommodation fills entirely and the town's population swells. Sister events and an adjacent camping festival run alongside. Summer temperatures on the East Coast are high and shade on site is limited.

What you actually see

• The three days - 29 to 31 December at the vineyard.
• The first sunrise - the geographic hook the festival is built on.
• The camping village - most of the crowd staying on site.
• The line-up - international and New Zealand acts across several stages.

When to go

29 to 31 December. Tickets and camping sell in advance and Gisborne accommodation books out months ahead. Travel to Gisborne is limited - flights and buses fill.

Honest expectations

It is a young, loud camping festival, not a wine tasting. Heat and dust are constant and shade is limited. Gisborne is hard to get to and out of over New Year. Alcohol restrictions and site rules are enforced.

Nearby

Gisborne city and its beaches are ten kilometres away; the East Cape road runs north.