RHYTHM AND ALPS

3 DAY MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS, NZ
​Rhythm and Alps runs over 3 nights from 29th Dec – 1st Jan. It is situated in the beautiful Cardrona Valley in the mighty Southern Alps of New Zealand, just 40 minutes from Queenstown and 15 minutes from Wanaka.
 
The event is the premier festival of the South Island, catering to 10,000 partygoers. Over 50 international and local acts will be performing across 4 stages with the best sound and lighting production in the country.
​We are expecting a sell out this year and with limited camping places, be sure to lock in your tickets now!
CAMPING
Pitch a tent with your mates or drive your campervan right to your campsite. You'll be set up with: hot showers; plenty of toilets; phone charging facilities; access to the swimming hole; a full vendor village; and a general store exclusive to campers.
EXPERIENCE
The R&A festival site is nestled in New Zealand’s picturesque Southern Alps. Surrounded by mountains, streams and just down the road is ​Lake Wanaka - we think one of the best NZ has to offer. A short drive and you'll be in Queenstown, adventure capital - think Bungy Jumping, the Shotover Jet and Skydiving.
TRANSPORT
There will be buses to and from Wanaka and Queenstown daily for a small additional fee (details to be published in November). We have plenty of secure car parking onsite and we're a short drive from Wanaka or Queenstown.
STAGES AND MUSIC
There will be over 50 international and local acts performing across our 4 stages with the best sound and lighting production in the country. All stages deliver the highest standard of production in NZ, giving you, the festival goer, a complete visual and sonic experience like nothing else.
BARS AND VENDOR VILLAGE
R&A is a licenced festival providing three bars serving ice cold beers, wine and cocktails and over 15 diverse vendors providing incredible food options. Due to our licence, we cannot allow BYO alcohol on site.
​
Picture
SUSTAINABILITY 
Our mission is to work with all our suppliers and festival goers to reduce as much waste as possible from the festival. We take responsibility for our actions and focus on providing effective services for all festival patrons. R&A is committed to working towards a zero waste festival and to protecting the local environment. ​​

VIP EXPERIENCE

DO IT IN STYLE
We invite you to dial up a luxe festival experience and toast to the New Year in style in the exclusive VIP Area.

VIP tickets are strictly limited. Escape the crowd, relax and recharge with your friends. The best spot in the house to take in the big names on the line up.

Inside the VIP tent you’ll get to enjoy all the perks, including*:
  •     Exclusive and larger range of craft beer and wines
  •     Cocktail bar with an exciting range of refreshing cocktails
  •     Views of the main stage
  •     Heating
  •     Private portaloos
  •     Dedicated hosts
  •     Phone charging facilities
  •     Barber, hair braiding & pampering

accommodation

ON-SITE CAMPING
Enjoy the full experience by camping onsite at the festival. Soak up the event atmosphere 24 hours a day.

You will have:
  •     Access to the campsite during festival hours
  •     24 hour security
  •     Camp shop with phone charging
  •     Dedicated green spaces to play
  •     Access to the river
  •     Hot showers
  •     Food available 24/7
  •     Free drinking water​​
CAMPERVANS
We have a section of the campsite dedicated to those travelling via campervan. This includes motorhomes, campervans and other vehicles transformed into sleeping accomodation, and does NOT include station wagons with their back seats folded down.

Everyone must first have their GA + Camping ticket then ONE person staying in the camper must buy a campervan upgrade ticket. Think of it like a ticket for your van.
GLAMPING TENTS
Our glamping option is the ultimate in festival luxury. Onsite camping at its finest. your fabulous tent will be already pitched when you arrive and ready for you to move in for the weekend.

With sumptuous interiors as standard, you will be treated to a great night’s sleep after a long evening partying at R&A. In your luxurious tent you will find all the things to make your festival weekend totally stress free. Each tent will have a deluxe air mattress, duvets and crisp linen, side tables, carpeted floor, doormat and LED lighting. The absolute in festival comfort.

Your glamping tent is located in the premium camp area. You will have your own express festival check-in lane, toilets just for premium campers and your own private shower block.

​This package includes R&A festival passes and entitles you to stay in your glamping tent for up to 3 nights on the 29th, 30th & 31st of December.
TEEPEES
Teepees are located in the premium camping area.
You will have your own express festival check-in lane, toilets just for premium campers and your own private shower block.

Your teepee will come with comfy air bed for the appropriate number of people and an LED light! you will need to bring your own bedding though (sleeping bag, etc).

This package includes R&A festival passes and entitles you to stay in your teepee for up to 3 nights on the 29th, 30th & 31st of December.
CARDRONA HOTEL PACKAGE
The Cardrona Hotel is located a convenient 5km from the festival site. Some say it has the best beer garden in the country.

All ensuite rooms are equipped with a Queen Bed, Sky TV, WiFi and tea and coffee making facilities. A continental buffet breakfast served in the historic dining room is also included. Make use of the cosy guest lounge, beautiful cottage gardens, laundry facilities and spa pool.

What you get (for two people):
  •     A room with Queen Bed and ensuite for 2 nights
  •     Wifi, Tea/Coffee & Sky TV
  •     Continental breakfast buffet
  •     Use of facilities, gardens and spa pool
  •     2x Rhythm & Alps tickets
  •     2x VIP Upgrades at R&A

This package includes R&A festival passes, VIP Upgrades and entitles you to stay in your room for 2 nights on the 30th & 31st of December.

transport options

CAR OR BUS
The roads to R&A are well marked, but if you are driving, please do everything you can to get here safely. If you’re a passenger, keep in mind that what you do can be really distracting for your driver, so save the party for when they can join in. Distracted drivers are dangerous.

Rhythm & Alps is located in the beautiful Cardrona Valley, 15 minutes south of Wanaka in the Central Otago. The site is nestled between the Cardrona Ski Resort and the high rolling terrain of the Pisa Plateau.

The festival address is Robrosa Station, 1653 Cardrona Valley Road, Wanaka. You can drive or bus to R&A. Carparking is free of charge and is located within easy walking distance of the campground.

There are regular buses to the festival site from both Queenstown and Wanaka. They can be booked through Yello!

​Bus information will be released in November.

frequently asked questions

Click on a topic below to expand to view more information:
general admission questions
WHAT DOES MY GA PASS GET ME?
Your general admission ticket gets you access to Rhythm and Alps Festival 2017.

WHAT DOES TIER 1, TIER 2 ETC, MEAN?
Rhythm & Alps employs a tiered ticketing system that rewards those who buy their tickets early with discounts. Each tier has a set allocation of tickets, and once that allocation is exhausted, it moves to the next tier. The earlier you buy your ticket, the more you save.

CAN I BUY SINGLE DAY PASSES?
Yes! Single day passes will be available for purchase later in the year.

WHAT TICKET TYPES ARE AVAILABLE?
  • R&A 2 Day GA Festival Pass
  • R&A Single Day Passes
  • R&A Onsite Camping Upgrades
  • Campervan Upgrades
  • VIP Upgrades
  • Premium Camping Packages (Glamping & Teepees)

WHEN WILL MY TICKET BE SENT OUT?
You should have received a PDF of your ticket at the time of purchase. Sometimes these can get blocked by spam filters, therefore tickets are also available to print off from your Eventbrite ticketing account.

​IS THERE A LIMIT TO HOW MANY TICKETS I CAN PURCHASE?
Yes, you can purchase up to 10 tickets per account.

CAN I BUY TICKETS AT THE FESTIVAL?
Yes, you will be able to purchase tickets at the box office onsite, provided the event is not sold out.

CAMPING QUESTIONS
WHAT IS ONSITE CAMPING?
Our beautiful onsite campsite is an experience like no other, and is conveniently located right on the doorstep of the festival itself.

WHAT DOES MY CAMPING TICKET GET ME?
In addition to being able to camp onsite, you will have free access to the Camp Bar, Onsite Toilets and Shower Blocks and full use of facilities located across the site including food vendors, swimming hole, shaded seating areas, camp store and a short walk from all the stages.

HOW FAR IS IT FROM THE CARPARK TO THE CAMPSITE?
It is a short 2-3 minute walk from the carpark to the campsite.

CAN I RETURN TO MY CAMPSITE DURING FESTIVAL HOURS?
You sure can. This is part of the attraction of the Onsite Camping experience. If you want to get away from it all for a break or a quick lie down, you’re only minutes away from your tent.

CAN I VISIT MY FRIENDS AT THE CAMPSITE?
Your camping ticket gives you access to the entire campsite for the duration of the festival, so you'll be able to visit any mates who are also camping.

CAN I BRING FRIENDS BACK TO MY CAMPSITE?
Access to the campgrounds will be restricted to campers only. You must have an R&A Onsite Camping wristband on to gain access to this area.

DO YOU ALLOW CAMPERVANS AT THE CAMPGROUND?
Yes! Simply purchase your Campervan upgrade (1 per Campervan). All guests must have a GA festival ticket + a camp ticket to use this upgrade.

IS THERE A RESTRICTION ON TENT SIZES?
We allow 10 metres square (10m2) per tent. Campsite is first-in-first-serve basis, so if you arrive early enough we should be able to accomodate your needs.

CAN I BRING FOOD INTO THE CAMPSITE?
You can bring a reasonable quantity of snacks / food that doesn’t require cooking and unopened non-alcoholic drinking containers limited to six per person.

WILL THERE BE SECURITY IN THE CAMPSITE?
Yes. Security will be present at all times within the campgrounds & will be checking accreditation, performing bag searches and roaming the campgrounds.
FESTIVAL INFO & HOURS
WHAT DAYS / TIMES DOES THE FESTIVAL RUN?
R&A kicks off at 12pm on the 30th December and runs through to sunrise on 1st Jan.

WHEN DOES THE CAMPSITE OPEN?
The campsite opens at 3pm on 29th December.

WHEN WILL THE LINEUP BE ANNOUNCED?
It's released! Check it out by clicking here!

CAN I BRING ALCOHOL AND FOOD INTO THE FESTIVAL?
Rhythm & Alps is a fully licensed event. Therefore, no alcohol is allowed to be brought onto site or into the campground. There will be fully serviced bars located around the campsite and festival site. Any alcohol that is found during the search of your vehicle or bags on entry must be confiscated.

Attendees must allow authorised staff to search their clothes, bags, containers or other possessions for items in violation of these conditions of entry.

No gross intoxication will be tolerated.

You can bring a reasonable quantity of snacks / food that doesn’t require cooking and unopened non-alcoholic drinking containers limited to six per person.

DO YOU ACCEPT CASH, EFTPOS OR CREDIT CARD AT YOUR STORES IN THE FESTIVAL?
No. Everything is paid for via an electronic RFID chip (Glownet) which is located on your wristband, which you will be given at check in to the festival. Stations will be located all over the festival for you to top up your wristband, as well as refund any money remaining at the end of the festival.

AGE & ID
HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO ATTEND R&A?
R&A is strictly R18. Anyone under this age will be denied entry.

​WHAT FORMS OF ID DO YOU ACCEPT?
By LAW, the ONLY forms of ID we CAN/WILL be accepting at R&A are:
  • A valid and current NZ Photo Drivers’ License
  • A valid and current HANZ 18+ Card
  • A valid and current NZ or overseas Passport
Expired IDs and ID such as Student IDs, credit cards, birth certificates, library cards, gun licenses will NOT be accepted. If you do not have one of the accepted forms of ID you will be refused entry.

Please note: The liquor license holder reserves the right to deny entry to any person who they suspect does not have a valid/legal form of ID or who they suspect are not of the age of 18+.
VIP UPGRADES
WHAT DOES A VIP PASS GET ME?
​Festival fans who have a thirst for something more, something premium, can expect just that with a VIP pass. Enjoy two full days at the festival in luxury style. Here’s a taste of what to expect this year:*
  • Exclusive views of the main stage
  • Specialty bars with craft beers and cocktails available
  • Amazing food
  • Dedicated festival check in lanes for VIP 
*more details to be released later in the year (i.e. subject to change)

BUSES & CARPARKING
IS THERE CAR PARKING AVAILABLE AT THE FESTIVAL?
Yes, there is free car parking available at the festival.

ARE THERE FESTIVAL BUSES?
Yes, local company YELLO! are offering a bus service to and from the festival from both Queenstown and Wanaka. Booking information can be found here: http://yello.co.nz/event-transport/
NAME CHANGES
If you are no longer able to attend the festival, you can on-sell your ticket to some other lucky person. Once you have found a buyer, you then need to purchase a name change via our website. These will be released for sale late October and will have a fee of $25 per ticket, so remember to factor this into your selling price. Once this is purchased you just need to follow the steps to complete the name change so the new buyer can be emailed their new ticket.

Please beware of ticket scammers, the safest way to purchase tickets is through our website using our ticketing platform Eventbrite.