What's on

SMASH SUMMER SESH is back for its 10th instalment with 15 acts playing over two outdoor stages at the most iconic live venue in Aoteraroa. Early Bird tickets just $30 + BF

This years line-up goes like this...

STANDOVER; Minus Title; The Nervous Surgeons; DANNY RASCAL; the MURDERCHORD; Swallow Moth; A-TRAX; Dispark; JED SKUSE; Redpath; The ROBBA; Charlie Love; RADIO SILENCE; Jason Clark; Tahio BBX

The weather's a bit shit but we got you....

Swing by Smash for hot food, cold drinks, great tunes and plenty to keep the crew entertained.

Pool, darts , games and loads of space to chill out, dry off, and reset before getting back into festival mode.

Open from 11am all festival.

Time to celebrate the Kiwi Summer Latino Style! Bring your dancing shoes, this is gonna be a fiesta on the Garden Stage, with DJ’s and Live bands to keep your hips swinging till late in the evening

Featuring:
P.S OUTLOOP - CASSAWARRIOR - DJ PURS - MIKKI DEE - CAMBUX - DFRESH

$10 – From 5:00pm

This one is for all of you who just want a break from the hustle and bustle of all the New Years
shenanigans, we’re deep into cruise mode on the Garden Stage, come and chill out in the shade and grab a cold one

Featuring:

AUDIENT - LALA LAND - THE OH SO LONELYS

$10 – From 5:00pm

See in the New Year with Lost Tribe Aotearoa!

Get ready for a NYE you might actually remember. Famous for high-energy performances and an infectious blend of reggae, ska, rock - LTA deliver a live show packed with big vibes, sharp musicianship, good humour, and full-on audience interaction.

If you're looking for a night that feels like whānau, fun, and pure Aotearoa flavour, this is it. Lock it in, gather the crew, and let’s welcome the new year the LTA way.

Welcome in the first Friday of 2026 in style with an epic selection of local talent, we’re kicking off acoustic and moving into electro late in the day, shake off the cobwebs and start your New Year off on the right foot

Featuring:

Table For Two - Jay Te Kira – Dynabee – Xone

$15 – From 5:00pm

We’re back at it like a bad habit, you can’t beat us so you might as well join us. What a lineup from some of Gizzy’s freshest local talent. We’ll be kicking back on the Garden Stage witnessing the future of things to come

Featuring:

Bensolong - Tahio BBX - DJ BlueLagoon - Matika

$15 – From 5:00pm

Rounding out the Garden Sessions in a Strictly Vinyl affair we have the regions finest selectors on the wheels of steel – This one is for the purists, the ones that love to hear the grooves, the deep cuts and the soothing sounds of needles on wax - We gotchu fam

Featuring:

Miss Imotas – Greybeard - The Simpleten Selector - Barry Whitesnake – The Shit Beats

Free Entry - From 5:00pm

Get ready for a night of fresh, unapologetic sound as The Rabbits, Pray for Summer, Jed Skuse, and Ethan Hannah take the stage. A mix of sharp songwriting, big riffs, and real hometown grit — this lineup is carving out their own space and making it matter.

Support the next wave of homegrown musos — you won’t want to miss it!

Just $15 on the door.

Join the Mystic Muses, award-winning singer/songwriters Melissa Cox (NZ/USA) and Celia Farran (USA) for an unforgettable show featuring Celtic music of the past, present, and future - Enya, Sinead O'Connor, The Cranberries, Loreena McKennitt, traditional tunes, lore & legends, sea shanties, and haunting original songs by Melissa and Celia.

The Poverty Bay Blues Club presents The Big Blues Birthday Build Up...

We're kicking off their birthday celebrations the only way we know how — with a warm-up full of deep grooves, growlin’ guitars, and the kind of honest, hard-lived blues that never goes out of style.

If you like your music raw, your solos long, and appreciate seasoned players who know how to bend a note ‘til it hurts and how to keep a room locked into the pocket - then this the evening for you!

$10 door
PBBC members free

The Official Afterparty of the NZ Surf Nationals is where the sun-burnt heroes of the day swap the ocean for the dancefloor. It’s loud, slightly unruly, and fueled by saltwater swagger.

The Butlers come armed with electrifying bangers, Flaxxies bring their unmistakable energy, and Hitman Johnny keeps the crowd moving with beats built for late-night antics. Shake off the sand and come party with Surf NZ's finest.

The GC's. Four piece modern country rock band from Hawkes Bay, playing covers from the likes of Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Gretchen Wilson, Ali Walker and many more.

Get ready for a soulful summer as Sloan Peterson and Jesse Redwing hit Gisborne, Taupō, Wātson, and Napier in Feb 2026.

Sloan Peterson brings her cinematic indie sound — 90s-tinged, emotionally rich, and impossible to look away from — returning with intimate, stripped-back sets that land straight in the heart.

Jesse Redwing, one of Australia’s most authentic blues voices, delivers smoky vocals, fiery guitar work, and that classic-meets-modern blues grit he’s known for worldwide.

Together they blend standout originals with reimagined blues and 60s favourites — including nods to icons like Nancy Sinatra. Expect sultry melodies, raw storytelling, and a few sing-alongs you won’t forget.

All tings bass-heavy, featuring:

P.DIGSSS; BRAZILBEAT SOUNDSYSTEM;JAMIL SABDA

Music outdoors is what summer is all about!

Paora Apera, aka P.Digsss is the singer and front man for the mighty Shapeshifter. P.Digsss is just as comfy behind the decks and on the mic as he is on stage with the band. He has paved a distinguished career as a songwriter, producer, MC and singer.

P.Digsss is a lover of all things bass heavy and purveyor of soul. So come vibe with ya boy P.Digsss for strictly top shelf material, both selecta!!

Landslide is a 6-piece live band, who have been celebrating the music of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks for the past 13yrs, covering classics from Fleetwood Mac alongside a few of Stevie's solo hits!

Expect to hear Dreams, Sara, Rhiannon, Go Your Own Way, Seven Wonders, Don't Stop, Edge of 17, Tusk, Gypsy, Black Magic Woman, Rooms on Fire, The Chain, Little Lies etc....to name just a few!

Two huge tributes, one massive night.
Get ready as Dub Penguins bring the ultimate Sublime tribute — sun-soaked grooves, big bass, and all the hits you know by heart. And Dumpweed deliver a high-energy Blink-182 set that’ll take you straight back to peak pop-punk.

Good vibes, loud guitars, and nothing but bangers. Don’t miss it. 🎶🔥

Join us for Rhythm & Lines post comp after party and 5th birthday celebrations.

Live on stage - Gone Country and a special guest appearance by White Chapel Jak's Bonnie Hurunui, performing their hit single Good Time.

Come join us for a night of music, dancing, and good times as we celebrate 5 awesome years of Rhythm n’ Lines. Under the Stars • Live Music • Good Times

The Datsuns return to their homeland with fire in their strings, fury in their rhythms, and rock & roll coursing through every vein.

This tour marks the clan’s first full assault across Aotearoa since 2018, kicks off in March at Smash, promising joyous savagery, riffs honed to perfection, and the raw energy that only The DATSUNS can deliver.