Huge Crowds As New Zealand Festivals Welcome 2018

 With New Zealand the first major country to greet the new year, New Year’s Eve festivals including Rhythm and Vines and Rhythm And Alps sold out — with up to 10 percent of attendees coming from outside the country. 

facebook.com/RhythmandVines/ – Rhythm & Vines Gisbourne Site

Rhythm and Vines in Gisbourne drew 20,000 and Rhythm And Alps in Cardrona Valley hit its 10,000 capacity for the first time. Rhythm and Vines faced some problems.

Fifteen patrons were hospitalised and quarantined with “norovirus-like symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting. Three men were arrested for allegedly selling ecstasy.

Promoters were also “incredibly disappointed” after a topless woman wearing glitter body paint was assaulted by a man. Footage posted on Facebook showed him touching her as she walked past. However the victim and a friend chased the man and slapped him four times, said the New Zealand Herald.

Bay Dreams at Baypark Stadium Jan. 2 drew 25,000 with a bill including DJ Snake, Machine Gun Kelly and Foster the People. 

Other major summer festivals include Soundsplash (Jan. 19-21), Christian music-oriented Festival One (Jan. 26-29). the inaugural reggae One Love (Jan. 27-28) Laneway Auckland (Jan. 29), Ruapuke Roots returning after a three-year hiatus (Feb. 9-11), Splore (Feb 23-25) and Auckland City Limits (March 3).