Hamish Pinkham: Rhythm and Vines co-founder on the 25,000 festivalgoers seeing the year out

The weather hasn't seemed to dampen the spirits of the festival goers in Gisborne, Rhythm and Vines co-founder Hamish Pinkham said. 

The festival employs around 1200 staff to ensure the events success and 25,000 festivalgoers will see the year out.

Tonight is the final night of the festival, hosting kiwi classic's Dave Dobbyn and Sachi and international acts Luude.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now to somewhere, You're guaranteed to find a wet tent.
Twenty five thousand festival goers, we'll see the old Year
out and the New Year in at Rhythm and Vines tonight.
It's the country's largest New Year's festival. It's had over
seventeen thousand campers braving record rainfall and Gisbone to party
to headline acts like Ice, Spice, Pendulum and Peaking Duck.

(00:37):
Tonight is the biggest and final night of the three
day festival, and R and V co founder Hamish Pinkham
joins me. Hamish, good morning, Hey, good.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Morning, Tam.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Are you wet?

Speaker 3 (00:49):
I'm wet, yep, a little bit damp, but hasn't hasn't
seemed to, you know, damp in the spirits of the
festival goers down here in Gisbon. It's waking up to
a clear morning on the thirty first. A bit of
rain expected later on, but the crowd here is mucking
in with their ponchos and their gummies and hasn't seemed
to worry too many people.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
How was it overnight? Was it pretty heavy?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
It was heavy in the afternoon. It actually cleared up
around dinner time for our headline acts last night, and
we had a nice still evening, certainly a little bit
chillier than normal, but you know, the opening day was
magic clear sky and when they had a nice sunset
and people were able to experience all the magic of
rhythm and vines. So yeah, it's been a journey the

(01:33):
last few days, but one that people will out. Remember
you have.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
An award for the best tent, the most waterproof tent,
because there must be some tragedies there.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah. Well, it's all part of the experience. I mean,
it's a journey down here. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
So you know, people having all sorts of emotions and
all sorts of challenges as part of their News Eve experience.
But as I said, hasn't hasn't downpan their festivities and
it's all character building stuff. As we head into twenty five.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Through tears at midnight eh of course, because you've got
a lot of staging, lighting and sound and everything. How
does the weather affect that one from the technical issues
and safety.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Point of view, Yeah, it's been certainly some you know,
lots of planning being put in the last few days.
We're watching the weather closely. The rain rolled up from
Hooks Bay yesterday afternoon and we're all on standby to
ensure that, you know, things were safety. Was talk of
potentially strikes and rain clouds, but you know, everything's waterproof.
We've got great systems in place, working with the authorities

(02:32):
to ensure the safety. We've got the wood chip coming
in and there is lots of cover here as well
in the tents and the bars and punters estled into
their ponchos and found a little bit of a break
from the rain before they were out and about enjoying
the music. It didn't seem to put anyone off at all.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
How many staff have you got for an operation like this,
because it's massive, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, we've got about twelve hundred stuff on site, many
of the local security staff and the volunteers that helped
put the event together, you know, the food and beverage.
We've got ten different bars on site, and then all
the performers as well. I think you know, we'll have
about eighty x through the festival, many of them local,

(03:15):
Minim International coming from wide and far. You know, Dave
Dobbin and Sachi Kiwi Classics playing tonight mixed with you
know acts like Lude and the Lee Matthews Boys. So
it's yeah, it's a big operation. It's a big three
day festival. I think we're running a city the size
of Fakatani over this period. So it's yeah, lots of logistics,

(03:36):
lots of fur, beverage, water and amenities that all add
to the recipe.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Wow sounds fair well, it sounds fantastic regardless of the weather. Hamosh,
have a great evening and a happy New Year to you.
That is Hamish Pinkham. He's the co founder of R
and V.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
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