Rhythm and Vines festival may relocate to Tamahere

New Zealand’s largest music festival, Rhythm and Vines, is reportedly planning to relocate from Gisborne to Tamahere in the Waikato region. Multiple sources indicate that organizers have identified a property on Hooker Road, situated near the Waikato River and Te Awa River Ride, as the preferred venue for the 2028 event.

The proposed site is located near the Waikato Expressway and Hamilton Airport, in an area previously earmarked for a thoroughbred racing headquarters. While Waikato District Council Mayor Aksel Bech has not confirmed the specific location, he acknowledged awareness of the rumors and noted that no resource consent applications have been filed yet.

The potential move coincides with the resignation of Waikato District Council chief executive Craig Hobbs after 18 months in the role. Mayor Bech stated that the timing of the resignation was influenced by what he described as baseless and deeply personal social media attacks, leading to a formal complaint being lodged with police and Facebook regarding digital harm.