After nearly a quarter of a century welcoming thousands of festivalgoers to the country's first sunrise each New Year, Rhythm and Vines is preparing to leave the city it has called home since 2003.
Festival organisers confirmed this week that the 2026 event will be the final edition held at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne, with the festival relocating to a new, undisclosed location from 2027.
Rhythm and Vines chief executive Kieran Spillane confirmed to 1News the new site would remain in the North Island – but exactly where would be closely guarded.
"We have a location of interest," Spillane said.
Pressed on whether the new venue would remain in a vineyard, a defining feature of Rhythm and Vines since its inception, Spillane wouldn't be drawn.
"Again, that's probably as much as I can say."
He did, however, confirm camping – one of the festival's hallmarks – would stay.
The venue would not be linked to Live Nation, which acquired ownership of the festival in 2018.
'A difficult transition'
For many New Zealanders, Rhythm and Vines has become synonymous with Gisborne, attracting hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers over 24 years and hosting international acts including Public Enemy, Mark Ronson, Chance the Rapper, Disclosure and Kid Cudi.
Spillane acknowledged ending that relationship had been one of the toughest decisions the organisation had made.
"We've had 24 amazing years in Gisborne, and to bring that to an end has been very, very hard," he said.
"But the festival's evolving, and the festival market is evolving, and we need to move with the times and make sure we're relevant and we're still at the cutting edge of international festival standards."
He said the move was ultimately about ensuring Rhythm and Vines remained viable well into the future.
"Future-proofing, to us, actually looks like growth and scaling up and probably moving to a location which is easier to access – just better access from the main population centres. So, we see our future survival and success as being with growth and scaling up."
While Gisborne had been an "amazing partner" over the decades, Spillane said he didn't believe anything could have been done to keep the festival in the city.
"We've just made the decision to move on."
He said organisers had tried to give the region as much notice as possible.
"We've worked with businesses and the community for 24 years. They are our partners. They are our friends in many, many cases.
"What we've tried to do is just give as much notice as we can to ease this, which will be a difficult transition."
'One last hurrah'
The decision has been met with sadness across Gisborne, where Rhythm and Vines has become one of the city's biggest annual events.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the announcement marked the end of an era.
"Our whole community is quite sad. It's been part of our fabric for, like you say, a quarter of a century."
She said the four-day festival contributed around $4 million to the local economy each year, with visitors filling accommodation, campgrounds, cafes and restaurants over the New Year period.
Ngāhuria Akania, manager of Verve Cafe, said the festival had become an important part of surviving the quieter months.
"Knowing that we're not going to have that is a bit scary. We kind of depend on it to kind of help us get through the slow times throughout the years."
Locals also echoed those concerns, with one resident calling it "a tragedy".
"This is where the big artists come to make it."
Another said Rhythm and Vines had given businesses "a period to thrive" every summer.
Before the festival begins its next chapter, organisers promised one final celebration in Gisborne.
Spillane said the creative team was already working through the archives to make the farewell festival special.
"We're trying to dip back into the archives. This is the one last hurrah," he said.
"I think it's going to be one of our best ever yet."
The first artists for the final Gisborne edition of Rhythm and Vines will be announced next week.
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