With Southern Lakes camping grounds fully booked for New Year’s celebrations, partygoers are turning to Rhythm & Alps for a complete camping experience in Wanaka’s Cardrona Valley.
 
The renowned international music festival, held on December 29-31 at Robrosa Station, caters for up to 4500 campers – but camping passes are rapidly selling out, with spots for only 1700 people left.
 
R&A campers have access to more than 40 showers with a constant supply of hot water, more than 120 toilets in multiple locations, mobile phone-charging stations, 90,000 litres of fresh bore water for drinking and showering, a camp bar open from 10am-3pm serving ice-cold beer and drinks, a camp village serving fresh coffee, juice and ice cream, a variety of food vendors, plus a river swimming hole and chill zone underneath the willow trees.
 
Glamping options with luxury sleeping arrangements and private showers for 120 people were snapped up six weeks ago by people from Canterbury, Otago, Southland and the East Coast of Australia.
 
“We’ve got the same, if not more, facilities as other camping grounds in the district – our point of difference is that people can buy a cold beer and listen to a huge variety of excellent live music,” R&A festival director Alex Turnbull says.
 
“We’re promising a world-class festival and a fantastic camping experience for people wanting to celebrate New Year’s festivities.”
 
Ticket sales are up significantly on last year, with 1700 available for December 31 and only 300 two-day passes (December 30-31) without camping left. R&A has consent to host up to 10,000 people for the festival, but is choosing to cap it at 7500, to ensure the venue isn’t too overcrowded.
 
“We normally sell 50 per cent of our ticket revenue in the last three weeks in December, so we’re on track to hit around the 7000-7500 mark,” Turnbull says.
 
Sixty acts, comprising the best homegrown talent and top artists from around the world, have been confirmed for the sixth annual festival. This is the fourth year R&A has been held in Wanaka.
 
Tickets for all events are on sale now and can be purchased at www.rhythmandalps.co.nz.
 
Rhythm and Alps 2016 full lineup
 
December 28 (Lake Hawea Hotel)
RÜFÜS
 
December 29
ALBI AND THE WOLVES / BASS INTRUSION / BEN AND HARRY / CAMO & TRIKKSTAR / GAWN DEEP / ROBERT GLENN
 
December 30
AKILTHE MC / BENTHAMISM / DEVILSKIN / DUB FX / DUSKY / EKALI / HARD LEE / HEIDI / HEY LADY / ICICLE LIVE FEAT SP:MC / K+LAB / LEFT OR RIGHT / OCEAN ALLEY / PASH JAMS / RIBERA / RISK / SINCLAIR/ S.P.Y / STUBACCA / TOKiMONSTA
THE UPBEATS / WEIRD TOGETHER
 
December 31
ACEN / ARMA DEL AMOR / BAYNK / CHACHI / CUT SNAKE / DAVE BOOGIE / GARETH THOMAS / GRAEME JAMES / HENDI / ILL FIGZ / ISAAC CHAMBERS / LIGHTLY TOASTED / MANDELA / OPIUO / PACIFIC HEIGHTS / PITCH BLACK / POTTY / PSYKOSIS / RUSE / SACHI / SIX60 / SPIKEY TEE / STATURE / SUBVERSION / SUMO SUI / T-BONE / THANKYOU CITY / THE SETTLERS / TREI / YOUNG TAPZ

Tickets for all events are on sale now and can be purchased at www.rhythmandalps.co.nz