Rhythm and Vines is about to turn 20 years old but it's showing no sign of easing up and ageing gracefully.
The event, held in Gisborne over three days in the run up to the New Year, is a staple of Aotearoa's music scene and has weathered multiple COVID-19 cancellations during the past few years.
As New Zealand heads into a summer of festivals largely devoid of Government-imposed COVID-19 protocols - even as case numbers of the virus rise - festival co-founder Hamish Pinkham believes the 2022 edition is the show's next incarnation.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't have lofty ambitions for where we were heading and we wouldn't still be here giving it 110 percent working on this festival all year round if we didn't have some pretty ambitious goals for where we're headed," Pinkham told Newshub.
One of the big changes for the festival in the 20th year will be the presence of on-site drug testing. Events can now licence drug-checking clinics on location after the Government brought in legislation to allow for substances to be tested on-site to ensure they are not laced.
"We're really supportive of the direction that the drug testing is taking. It's just how that will be implemented into these events is something we're all still working through as an industry.
Pinkham says festivals like Rhythm and Vines have a social obligation to the newcomers who head away from home to party and it's a responsibility he takes even more to heart this year after the festival was cancelled in 2021 and Easter 2022 because of the pandemic.
"We're going to see some new faces at festivals. So, the 18-year-olds at Rhythm and Vines this year were perhaps 16 during the pandemic. They're probably not as well versed in the live music experience, so there'll be a few speed wobbles getting them up to speed."
Pinkham says the festival is also conscious of embracing the less boozy and hedonistic ways of shows in bygone days.
"We are seeing a big uptake in health and wellness these days, aren't we?" said Pinkham.
"At Rhythm and Vines, we're catering to [that trend]. Whether it be low alcohol or low carb beverage and food options - we want to really make sure that the youth are well fed and well rested. There's going to be some new trends and live events that we haven't seen in a number of years."
And while the 2022 event is just around the corner, Pinkham's already got his eye on what lies ahead for 2023.
"We're in touch with a number of music agents about next summer already. We've got some people actually coming to the show that we're hosting - the cycle continues."
He wouldn't be drawn on which acts they're already zeroing in on.
The festival's not been without its troubles in its two decades - from arrests for drug use to hundreds being injured on site in 2016, there's been more than just the music and the international acts to occupy Pinkham's brain.
However, he told Newshub he had no plans to give it up - even after 20 years in the driving seat.
"It's a labour of love and it's something I'm really proud of as well. It's uniquely Kiwi. And if we can bring our experience and skill set to the industry and keep entertaining Kiwis, it keeps me inspired," he said.
"You know, it beats having a day job which could have been the other option."
