The Rhythm and Vines music festival, held annually on a vineyard estate in Gisborne, has turned into a mudbath this year, with thousands of attendees determined to enjoy themselves, nonetheless.
No doubt due to global warming and rising temperatures, the usually sun-baked event greeted visitors with showers, cool breezes, a barrage of thunderstorms, and persistent rain.
Since its beginning in 2003, RnV has become New Zealand’s most popular music festival, attracting tens of thousands of young adults to a marathon of song that begins on 29 December and continues until sunrise on 1 January. The festival has become a rite of passage for many young Kiwis, as well as attracting thousands of visitors from overseas.
Although a few might have been deterred by the weather forecast, a healthy 25,000 still turned up for the 2024–25 season, pitching tents between the rows of grapevines or staying further afield in the A&P showgrounds and elsewhere. The foul weather proved to be a bonanza for local businesses, as wet campers inundated the town in search of showers, hot food and other comforts. Although eateries normally expect a busy few days, all found that this year was exceptional.
At the festival venue, the Waiohika Estate, attendees persisted in enjoying themselves despite the downpour. Fashion critics noted that the most popular styles were plastic ponchos and gumboots.
On the Wednesday, a procession of tired but happy concertgoers made their way out of town, having made the most of the hundreds of dollars paid for tickets. Staff at the vineyard were stressed to near breaking point as they worked to usher mud-spattered vehicles out of the sodden and slippery fields. One said that the weather had been “shocking”.
However, no major incidents were reported. Provided global warming does not bring a major snowstorm with avalanches and polar bears sliding down glaciers, the organisers will be looking forward to another successful run next year.
