The Rhythm and Vines Festival
The Rhythm and Vines Festival is a three-day music event held on December 29-31 in Gisborne, New Zealand. It is widely recognized as the world's first festival to welcome the first sunrise of the new year.
Hamish Pinkham, Tom Gibson, and Andrew Witters, all friends from the University of Otago, launched the event in 2003. They intended to host a New Year's Eve party for their friends in a secure and attractive venue, with entertainment provided by up-and-coming and established New Zealand musicians. They had no idea that their small gathering would become a rite of passage for over 350,000 Kiwis over the next two decades, attracting foreign visitors and touring musicians from all over the world.
The Rhythm and Vines Festival, held in Gisborne, the first site to see the sunrise, is world-famous for being the first to welcome the first sunrise of the New Year. It is the sister festival to Rhythm and Alps, lasting three days. It is a massive socio-cultural event, with many top performers coming from all over the world to perform rock and electronic music in front of over 3,50,000 people from various countries and backgrounds.
Dates: 28th - 31st December.
Location: Gisborne, North Island, New Zealand.
