One of the country’s most southern New Year’s events, Rhythm and Alps, is back for another year of fun.

Set to welcome 10,000 people to its Cardrona Valley location, the annual event has become a cherished end-of-year tradition — even more so than promising to finally stick to your resolutions in 2024 — so, what will this year bring? Even more stars, even more fireworks and, most hilarious of all, absolutely no “bad vibes”, according to the festival’s website.

With a performance from one of New Zealand’s biggest country music stars, Kaylee Bell, to the one and only Benee, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Synthony and all the bars and food trucks in between, it’s set to be a pretty impressive experience — especially if the weather holds up.

Here’s everything you need to know before the festival:

When does it start?

The festivities officially kick off on December 29, with check-in for campers available from noon and closing at 10pm. If you’re one of the lucky ones who scored an Airbnb in Wānaka, Queenstown or Lake Hāwea, though, the music festival will have acts from 4pm running all the way to midnight.

If you’re a medium-level party-goer choosing a two-day stay in the valley, check-in for campers opens at 10am on December 30 and shuts at 11pm. As for day trippers, you can head along to the festival from noon.

The same for those heading along on December 31.

Stars of the show

It’s going to be three days of singing, dancing a good times — especially because Kaylee Bell, Benee, Sachi and Sythony are coming in hot so you can come into the new year even hotter.

Parking and transport

If you’re planning a roadie with your mates before camping at the festival, it’s good news. Unlike the parking battle in Central Otago, the campers carpark is a short 2 or 3-minute walk from the campsite — and if you’ve got a campervan you can even drive into the campsite (after purchasing a campervan upgrade).

As for anyone staying other than for R&A and you’re drinking, 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 Yello, the local bus and taxi companies, or private transport.

How your wristband works

R&A 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 bars and food trucks.

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 — top up here.

Rhythm and Alps draws 10,000 festival punters every year. Photo / George Heard

What to bring

No one likes to arrive at a festival and realise they’ve left an essential item at home — especially when said festival is a 40-minute drive from Wānaka, so to save any meltdowns, here is everything you need to bring, according to the festival organisers themselves.

No one likes to arrive at a festival and realise they’ve left an essential item at home — especially when said festival is a 40-minute drive from Wānaka, so to save any meltdowns, here is everything you need to bring, according to the festival organisers themselves.