CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Deep Hard N Funky has been part of Auckland's dance music scene for years and continues

Snow Machine takes the classic festival mission and throws it onto a mountain. Ski or

Some events are about discovering something new; this one is gloriously about remembering

A little hit of AUM magic in the middle of winter: secret warehouse, serious psytrance and

If you're like me and drum & bass is your happy place, this one's self-explanatory. DnB

A long weekend in Te Arai with camping, electronic music and enough room to settle

Wellington knows how to make the most of its waterfront, and Waitangi Park is a pretty goo

Auckland's Albert Park is glorious in summer. Located in the green heart of the central

This grassroots Central Hawke's Bay festival celebrates an impressive 20 20 years in 2026.

Practically a Kiwi NYE rite of passage at this point, Rhythm and Vines is legendary. Four

Christchurch gets a serious end-of-year workout with three days at Bottle Lake and a

Northern Bass has earned its place as one of New Zealand's iconic New Year's festivals.

Sail, ferry or fly over for a very Kiwi island adventure with an old school spirit.

Tucked away at Blue Hole near Tākaka, Oasis looks like the kind of long-weekend festival

Hidden amongst the bush in Te Arai, Shipwrecked is less about racing between headline acts

Deep in Cobb Valley near Tākaka, Yatra sits firmly at the more immersive end of the

Elevated bass on a secluded deer farm an hour from Auckland. Resonance is one to watch.

This is exactly the kind of nonsense winter needs. Ski or snowboard under the lights

Good bass, good humans, good idea. A new series putting artists and community first.

Dunedin bassheads don't always get the same touring love as Auckland and Christchurch,

Bass, mini golf and beautiful weirdness. Carlucci Carnival does things its own way.

Beyond Aotearoa is one I'm keeping on the Captain's radar. Victoria Park makes for an easy

Tauranga Fringe Festival at The Historic Village featuring live performance, art, markets

One for the magnificent dressers. Thames goes wonderfully off-script for four days of

Part gig, part projection, part performance: FLOURISH is intimate and immersive

Indie bands, disco and a lakeside Taupō summer setting is a pretty convincing combination.

Hagley Park gets another summer workout, this time with ten hours of music and a lineup

Twisted is one of those festivals that has built a whole world around itself rather than

New Year's Eve in Cardrona Valley is hard to argue with. Rhythm and and Alps brings the

8th Wonder celebrates Kiwi music with a lineup packed full of familiar names and homegrown

There’s something special about a festival that’s so connected its whenua. Taniwha’s Den

Clothing optional. Curiosity encouraged. 4 days of music, play, connection and consent.

Big beats for little feet! Lenny Pearce turns kids’ favourites into a proper Toddler Rave,

House music high above Waihi Beach. I've been, I loved it, and yes - I recommend it.

Sequins, superheroes and Sweet Mix Kids in Martinborough? You had me at sequins.

A delicious little house session from the Hawke's Bay crew. Deep, melodic, indie, tech and

Secret warehouse. Hard techno. No phones. You know what to wear.

South Island bassheads get their turn when DnB Allstars rolls into Wolfbrook Arena. Six

Paige Julia aka Violet Genesis takes over the il Brutto basement with Sauna and Gwendolyn.

Elektrophoria lands on Tauranga Waterfront: an open-air afternoon-to-night session of

Hybrid Minds, international DnB and a massive outdoor session. Summer starts here.

K Road gets rebellious. Music, community and a street festival. #proper

If Christmas with the family leaves you needing to dance it out, Hidden Valley arrives at

Independent, proudly homegrown and just far enough out of Auckland to feel like

AUM has become my New Year's home. I've been attending as a punter or vendor since

Mount Maunganui on New Year's Eve already has plenty going for it before anyone builds

Dimension isn't for the faint-hearted. I know because I've survived the 72-hour

Auckland Domain becomes one enormous open-air dancefloor for Sydney's Dom Dolla.

Kings of Leon, Calvin Harris, Underworld and more. Two massive days in Hagley Park.

WOMAD reminds me just how universal music really is. One minute you're discovering rhythms

SYNTHONY is what happens when dance music gets dressed up for the orchestra. Huge