Your Guide to New Zealand's 2017/18 Summer Festivals

Summer means sunshine, chilled drinks – preferably with parasols –  and live music, and it really isn't summer without attending at least one of New Zealand's biggest music festivals. There's a huge selection of big acts coming to New Zealand for the 2017-18 festival season, and we're running through just some of the action.

Northern Bass is now in its sixth year, and has cemented its place on the NZ festival circuit. Situated on a massive farm less than an hour’s drive from Auckland, the three-day New Year's festival started out as the spot for Drum and Bass, and the only place you could see grime acts in NZ. As the appreciation for grime has grown (alongside mainstream appreciation of hip-hop) so has the festival – the 17/18 line-up includes Stormzy, 6Lack, Nadia Rose, Princess Nokia, and Koder. In addition to the international heavyweights, you’ll get the chance to see sets from local rappers JessB (get familiar – asap) and Abdul Kay, neo-soul goddess Ladi6, and DJ sets from producers Montell2099 and Lee Mvtthews.

The festival has food trucks, the George FM Oasis where you can float on your flamingo, an app with all your key info, and two massive stages that give you a great view of from the top of the hill. There’s plenty of camping space onsite, and glamping in the “Bass Hotel” if you’re ballin’ and not on a budget. If a full three-day stay isn’t your deal, you can get one or two day passes too.

Northern Bass hits Mangawahi on December 29. Check out the full line-up and set times here.

Two words: Dizzee Rascal. Set in the beautiful Tapapakanga Regional Park, Splore is an immersive festival experience. Every year the festival has a theme for revellers to embrace, with dress ups encouraged – but racist costumes not. Even though it feels like we shouldn’t have to tell people to stop appropriating other cultures, the Splore website kindly thanks attendees in advance for leaving their Native American headdresses at home.

If seeing Dizzee Rascal, Chronixx, Black Milk, or DJ MK aren’t on your agenda at Splore, you can go explore the rest of the activities on offer such as ‘Wellness Central’ – your spot for soul-searching and learning how to take that festie calm back home. Splore is another family-friendly festival too, and I don’t think any age is too young to go a little bonkers with Dizzee.

Splore hits Tapapakanga Regional Park from February 23-25. More info here.

Auckland City Limits

Auckland City Limits is the cousin of Austin City Limits, and back for 2018. Brought to you by the promoters behind the much-loved Big Day Out, ACL spans multiple genres with a little bit for music lovers of any age and inclination. Grace Jones, Beck, Justice, George Ezra, Peking Duk, and Thundercat are all on the bill, with local support from the likes of Katchafire, Aaradhna, and SWIDT.

The menus in the Auckland Eats zone are always as good as the tunes, with some of the 2016 offering sampled and co-signed by Action Bronson in F**k That’s Delicious!

Festival-goers are encouraged to treat ACL just like a party in a park - take a picnic blanket and some cushions to sit on, or pick some up at any of the local market stalls. If you’re worried about your gear holding you back from getting down to Grace, there’s three passouts per ticket so you can drop your stuff home before returning and partying into the night.

Being in a giant park in Central Auckland, it’s of course family-friendly too, and kids under 10 are free with a ticketed adult. Kids can even enjoy the mini Auckland Kiddie Limits festival inside, with its own yet to be announced line up too. For the adults, a second announce is still on its way - so stay tuned and mark March 3 in your calendar.

UPDATE: Future & Young Thug have been added to the Auckland City Limits roster. So now you pretty much have to go.