The vines run in neat green rows toward the hills, and between them a tent city is going up in the late-December sun. Somebody's speaker is already playing. By the last night, thousands of people will be counting down to a new year among the first anywhere on Earth to see it.
This year there's a twist in the story. Rhythm and Vines 2026 is the last one at Waiohika Estate.
We're Magus and Lylyth Fawn, Los Angeles visionary artists and festival lifers, and we ship our made-to-order festival wear to New Zealand. Here's how we'd dress for four days in the vines, from the first hot afternoon to the cool hour when the sky over Gisborne starts to pale.
What should you wear to Rhythm and Vines 2026?
Dress for two seasons in one day. Gisborne's late-December afternoons sit near 24°C, and NIWA's normals put nights around 13°C, so Magus Fawn packs breathable cotton and a cap for the sun, then a hooded, faux-fur-lined cloak for the countdown and the walk back through the vines. Rhythm and Vines is R18 and runs in all weather.
Rhythm and Vines calls itself "New Zealand's premier three-day music and four-day camping festival," with "local and international artists across multiple stages" (official site). That's a lot of outfit changes. The camping is the heart of it: a "uniquely Kiwi camping experience within the vines of Waiohika Estate," which means you dress from a tent for four days.
The festival's terms and conditions also shape the bag. It's "an outdoor, all-weather event and is intended to proceed in a wide range of weather conditions," glass isn't allowed, and nobody may pass themselves off as staff "including through clothing," so leave the hi-vis vest at home and wear the art instead.
The phoenix for the final dance
A festival leaving its home after the 2026 edition, "relocating to a new, undisclosed location in 2027" (Rhythm and Vines), deserves a bird that knows how to begin again. In myth the phoenix burns and is reborn (Wikipedia), and that's this year's whole story.
The Dark Phoenix men's festival cloak ($250) wraps you in silver-white feathers and filigree swirling over black, drawn like engraved metal, from the hood all the way down. Under festival lights the silver catches every beam; on the dark walk back to camp it reads as pure shadow. It's micro-mink outside with a faux-fur lining in black or white, a double front zipper, heavy drawstrings and four pockets: two deep side pockets for cold hands and two inside stash pockets, one zippered, for your phone and ID. Unisex fit, XS to 5XL. George, who bought a Madriax cloak in May 2023, summed up the feeling: "So comfortable you almost forgot how cool it looks!" The investment piece of the summer, and one you'll wear long after 2027 begins.
How cold does Gisborne get at night in late December?
Cool enough for a hood. NIWA's 1991–2020 climate normals for Gisborne give a December average low of 13.1°C (56°F) and a January low of 14.3°C (58°F), with afternoons around 24–26°C (75–78°F). Magus Fawn plans every Rhythm and Vines outfit around that eleven-degree swing between the main stage and the tent.
| Month | Average daytime high | Average night low |
|---|---|---|
| December | 23.8°C (75°F) | 13.1°C (56°F) |
| January | 25.8°C (78°F) | 14.3°C (58°F) |
Source: NIWA's 1991–2020 climate normals tables (mean daily maximum and minimum, location Gisborne, a few kilometres from Waiohika Estate), read October 28, 2026.
Those are averages across thirty years, so some nights will be warmer and some cooler. The festival's own about page promises you'll "welcome the first light," and the hour before first light is the coolest one. That's when the hood earns its keep.
Day looks in the vines: cotton and a cap
The days are made for something light and something on your head. The Liquid Gold snapback hat ($40) swirls gold, mustard, olive and chocolate brown all the way to the brim, threaded with black, like bullion poured out and caught mid-swirl. Its own listing calls it made "for day parties, one long sunset and the countdown to midnight," which is the Rhythm and Vines schedule in one line. It's breathable 150 g/m² polyester with a plastic snapback band, one size fits most.
Under it, cotton. The Blue Marble cotton T-shirt ($60) folds cobalt, sky blue, white and deep navy into one another like a creek running over stones, or a river seen from a plane window. It's printed by dye sublimation into 100% cotton at 190 g/m², soft and breathable, with short sleeves, a crew neck and a regular fit from XS to 5XL. Cool water to look at on a hot afternoon, and easy to layer under a cloak once the sun goes down.
Midnight in the vines: the countdown cloak
December 31 is the last night of the festival and the first New Year's countdown for a lot of the planet, and Rhythm and Vines leans into it: you'll be "among the first in the world to welcome the new year." If anyone in your crew has a midnight kiss planned, this is their cloak.
The Hearts and Roses women's festival cloak ($250) is a love letter in fleece. Between the shoulders, a glossy crimson heart folds over itself like ribbon, with a lone red rose climbing below, while smaller hearts and rosebuds float through marbled hot pink, magenta, plum, lilac and cream. Faux-fur lining in black or white, a double front zipper, two side pockets and two inside. Unisex fit, XS to 5XL. Two of you can share one open cloak at midnight, and we won't tell.
January 1: the camp-morning blanket
The countdown is over, the sun is up, and the vines are full of people in sunglasses moving very slowly toward coffee. This is the hooded blanket's moment.
The Electric Dragonscape hooded blanket with ears ($150) surrounds a horned dragon head with icy blue, cobalt and violet scales, its horns tipped in gold, with more dragons rising at the shoulders and a jeweled blue medallion below. It's 100% poly fleece at 300 g/m², an oversized pullover with a cat-ear hood, a front quarter zip and an oversized front pocket, made in one size cut as a 4XL. It keeps watch over the long drive home, too.
When should you order a Rhythm and Vines outfit?
Order by Monday, November 9, 2026, our comfortable date, which is only days away as this guide goes live. Every Magus Fawn piece is made to order: production takes 7–11 business days, then Standard International delivery takes 7–14 business days. The last call at our slowest pace is Tuesday, November 17, before camping opens December 28.
Christmas and the long holiday weekend fall right before the festival, which pulls both dates earlier. We count business days the way our made-to-order timeline guide explains, skipping weekends, US holidays and the day after Thanksgiving. Past November 17? Rhythm and Alps (December 30–31) has a last call of Thursday, November 19, and Kiwiburn's comfortable date is Thursday, December 10 (our Kiwiburn outfit guide picks November 30 for extra room).
Standard International shipping to New Zealand is $10, and local import duties or taxes may apply. Every piece comes with one free size exchange, but let's get the size right together: email your measurements to art@magusfawn.com. For cloaks, our FAQ suggests sizing up, "sometimes even 2 sizes up to fit extra layers under."
The last dance at Waiohika
Rhythm and Vines 2026 closes a chapter in Gisborne. Dress for the sun in the rows, the cool blue hour before first light, and a countdown you'll tell people about for years. Then see where the festival goes next.
Find your pieces: men's cloaks · women's cloaks · hooded blankets
More New Zealand reading: our New Zealand summer festivals guide covers Rhythm and Alps, Northern Bass and Electric Avenue, and how to sleep warm at a festival covers the tent side of a cool night.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rhythm and Vines R18?
Yes. Rhythm and Vines' terms and conditions say the festival is strictly R18, and every attendee must be at least 18 years old when entering the event site. Bring photo ID that proves it. The same terms describe an outdoor, all-weather event, so pack for sun, wind and a shower as well as the dance floor.
Is 2026 the last Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne?
It's the last at Waiohika Estate. Rhythm and Vines announced in July 2026 that this year's festival, running December 28 to 31, will be the final edition held at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne, and that the festival is relocating to a new, undisclosed location in 2027. The festival calls it the final dance.
What is the Waiohika Warmup at Rhythm and Vines?
The Waiohika Warmup is Rhythm and Vines' official opening night for campers, on December 28, the day before the three festival days. The official site says buying onsite camping is the only way in, so it's the first night in the vines for everyone pitching a tent, and a good night for your warmest layer.
Does Rhythm and Vines go ahead in the rain?
Yes. Rhythm and Vines' terms and conditions describe it as an outdoor, all-weather event that is intended to proceed in a wide range of weather conditions. Plan your outfits for a shower as well as the sun, keep a dry layer in the tent, and choose prints that still look good a little wet.
Written by Magus & Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Magus makes VR and digital visionary art and produces Psy EDM. Lylyth makes fractal digital art and runs design and customer care. We've been selling wearable art since 2020 (4.8★ from 147 reviews as of October 2026), and every piece is made to order here at magusfawn.com. Come say hi on Instagram @magusfawn.
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