Summer is popping its head around the corner, with the first mentions of ‘Summer Tour’ being bandied around, along with various announcements of line-ups for the plethorum of festivals happening over next few months. The likes of Rhythm and Vines, Southern Amp and a whole host of festivals have meant Big Day Out is no longer the sole big-name drawing festival in the country and concert goers will have a myriad of choices this year to part their money with.

Not that big names are what it’s all about - slow burners like Parihaka Peace Festival, Canaan Downs and Camp A Low Hum have steadily grown a buzz for themselves based more on the atmosphere, the people, the partying and obviously the freakin’ stunning locations they take place in, rather than wowing crowds with big ticket international acts. The other benefit these particular festivals have, outside avoiding the dreaded queues to nowhere, is that you often discover some fantastic acts that leave you wondering what talent pit they’ve sprung from.

We’ll be previewing some of the many festivals in upcoming issues, so keep an eye out to suss out your options for the summer and you may even get the chance to score tickets!