It’s the country’s most iconic New Year’s event, and days out from celebrating its 21st birthday, Rhythm and Vines is back for its biggest year yet.

Set to welcome 21,000 people to Gisborne’s Waiohika Estate, the annual event has become a rite of passage for Kiwi festival punters — even more so than heading off to London for your OE — so, what will this year bring?

With a performance from one of the world’s most in-demand house music producers, Dom Dolla, to Wilkinson, Becky Hill, Kiwi icon Gin Wigmore and all the stores, eateries and bars in between, it’s set to be a pretty impressive experience — especially if the weather holds up.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the festival:

When does it start?

The festivities officially kick off at 2pm on December 29, but for on-site campers it’s nothing but good news. You can make your way into the camping area from 9.30am on December 28 to set up your home away from home and really lean into your R&V era.

As for attending with a three, two or one-day pass without camping, the festival gates open at 2pm each day with shows finishing up at 12.30am on December 29 and 30. New Year’s Eve is a different story, though, with a go-hard-and-see-the-sunrise-before-you-go-home type of party. Acts will be performing all the way through until the first sunrise of the new year.

Stars of the show

It’s going to be three days of singing, dancing and good times — especially because Central Cee, Dom Dolla, Sub Focus, Wilkinson and Becky Hill are coming in hot so you can come into the new year even hotter.

Parking and transport

If you’re doing the ultimate summer road to rhythm with your mates and camping, it’s good news. There is a free on-site carpark not far from the campsite that can be used for campervans too — unfortunately, you won’t be allowed to sleep in it, and will instead have to camp at one of the local Gisborne campervan parks.

For those with a dedicated sober driver set to drive the crew home each night, there is free on-site parking — which does include a car search, so make sure you allocate a little extra time, a little extra water in your drink bottle and some snacks to munch on.

As for anyone staying other than at R&V and you’re drinking, please don’t drive. There are plenty of options to get home safely including having a sober mate drive, getting mum to come pick you up or booking your transport with the festival bus service here.

Rhythm and Vines is returning this year for its 21st birthday. Photo / RNZ

How your wristband works

R&V is a fully cashless festival, which is an ideal situation for the one friend who always loses their Eftpos card but bad news for that one friend who deals in only cash. Fortunately or unfortunately, you have no choice but to live, laugh, and wristband your way through the festival stores, bars and eateries.

To make sure you aren’t the one friend who promises to get your mate a drink, waits in line for 30 minutes then realises you have to pay with the electronic chip on your wristband, which you are given at check-in, you can head to an AWOP (Another Way of Payment) station at the festival to top up.

What to bring

No one likes to arrive at a festival and realise they’ve left an essential item at home — especially when it’s so cool you don’t want to leave for more than five minutes, so to save any FOMO, here is everything you need to bring, according to the festival organisers themselves.

• Must bring valid photo ID — by law the only forms of ID that R&V can and will accept are valid NZ driver’s licences, Hanz 18+ ID cards, and overseas or NZ passports.
• Have your ticket on you, either a printed copy or on your phone.
• Cash or Eftpos to top up your wristband
• Warm clothes for when the sun goes down
• If you’re a camper, be sure to bring all your necessary camping supplies, a sturdy tent you can reuse, sleeping bags, the works

Gisborne's popular Rhythm & Vines is anticipating 21,000 festivalgoers to show up and ring in the new year.

What not to bring

The much-loved festival once again has a no-BYO policy this year with any alcohol brought in set to be confiscated — and that’s not the only rule. The website also states a series of items you aren’t allowed to bring in, including:

• Fireworks
• Weapons
• Gang patches or gang-affiliated clothing
• Lasers
• Any form of glass, including glass containers and/or drinking vessels
• BBQs
• Material to construct fires or weapons or other dangerous items
• Strictly no aerial drones will be allowed on the festival site.
• Animals
• Illicit drugs or illegal substances
• For safety reasons, we do not permit metal-head hammers on site. Rubber, wood, or plastic hammers for tent pegs only.

Weather

According to MetService, it’s a mix of sun and showers this New Year’s in Gisborne. Temperatures may see a low of 17 on December 29 and a high of 24 with cloud, while December 30 may bring a low of 19 and a high of 28 as well as sun, cloud and showers.

As for December 31, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got your sunscreen and sunhats because it’s forecast to be a low of 19 and a high of 28 with sunshine all day.

While we’ve tried to cover everything in this article, we are only human so if you’ve still got unanswered questions, head to the R&V website here.

Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in Ultimate summer gig guides, chats to iconic industry figures and loves an everything you need to know article.