Get ready to party like it’s 2019 – summer means festival season, and with borders well and truly open, expect celebrations across the country like never before.
Headline act highlights include Ocean Alley at Soundsplash in Raglan, HAIM at Laneway in Auckland, both taking place in January, and Lorde and Flume at Electric Avenue in Christchurch in February.
Meanwhile, other top international acts will also be Down Under for their own concerts, including Red Hot Chili Peppers with Post Malone, Elton John and Ed Sheeran.
Check out our list of the best music festivals and concerts around the country over summer below:
MUSIC FESTIVALS
Hideaway Festival
10 December
Days Bay
Headliner: Chiccoreli & Tali
Summer Sound
16 December
Marlborough
Headliner: Tiki Taane
Hazy Days
27 December
Coromandel
Headliner: Spacey Jane
Rhythm and Vines
29 – 31 December
Gisborne
Headliner: Chase & Status
Rhythm and Alps
From 29 – 31 December
Wanaka
Headliner: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Northern Bass
29 – 31 December
Mangawhai
Headliner: Pendulum
Summer Haze
29 December, 4 January
Tauranga, Matakana
Headliner: Shapeshifter
Highlife NYE
31 December
Matakana
Headliner: Crazibiza
Bay Dreams
3 January, 5 January
Mount Maunganui, Nelson
Headliner: Diplo
Juicy Festival
5-11 January
Napier, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Auckland, Whangarei
Headliner: Nelly
Plane Sailing
6 January
Auckland
Headliner: Diplo
Golden Lights
7 January
Auckland
Headliner: Alison Wonderland
Soundsplash
20 – 22 January
Raglan
Headliner: Ocean Alley
Groove in the Grapes
21 January
Auckland
Headliner: stellar*
That Weekend
28 – 29 January
Tirau
Headliner: The Veronicas
One Love
28 – 29 January
Tauranga
Headliner: UB40
Beach Break
28 January, 5 February
Whangamata, Nelson
Headline: Shapeshifter
Gardens Music Festival
29 January
Auckland
Headliner: Fatboy Slim
Laneway
30 January
Auckland
Headliner: HAIM
Summer Concert Tour
4 – 11 February
Taupō, Whitianga, Queenstown
Headliner: ZZ Top
Splore
24 – 26 February
Auckland
Headliner: Future Islands
Electric Avenue
25 February
Christchurch
Headliner: Lorde
CONCERTS
Mel Parsons
9 – 11 December
Queenstown, Wanaka, Oamaru
Six60
10 December, 4 March
Christchurch, Dunedin
Jack Johnson
10 – 11 December
Auckland, Napier
Kendrick Lamar
16 – 17 December
Auckland
UB40
29 December – 7 January
Napier, New Plymouth, Matakana, Tauranga, Nelson, Queenstown
L.A.B
30 December, 21 January, 4 February
Tauranga, Hastings, Whangarei
Hello Sailor & Bliss
31 December
Whangaparāoa
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
29 December – 6 January
Tauranga, Wanaka, Auckland, New Plymouth
Marlon Williams
19 – 28 January
Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin
Kehlani
20 January
Auckland
Red Hot Chili Peppers with Post Malone
21, 26 January
Auckland, Dunedin
Elton John
24 – 28 January
Christchurch, Auckland
Fatboy Slim
27 January – 4 February
Christchurch, Napier, Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown
Ed Sheeran
10-11 February
Auckland
Lorde
21 February – 4 March
Wellington, Christchurch, Upper Moutere, Havelock North, Auckland
Flume
23 – 25 February
Auckland, Christchurch
