Festival Style in New Zealand

Outfit guides for 3 New Zealand festivals, from Splore Festival to Northern Bass.

3Festivals
3Cities
February–DecemberSeason

New Zealand has 3 festivals in this guide, spread across 3 cities. They run in February and December, and festival-day temperatures range from 24°C (75°F) to 24°C (75°F), with nights down to 14°C (57°F). That range is the reason there is no single "New Zealand festival outfit". The answer changes by month and by site.

Conditions are moderate across the board, so the day-to-night temperature drop is the thing to plan for rather than the weather itself.

The ground matters as much as the sky. You will find beach and open field, which puts flat sandals you can rinse, plus trainers for the night stages at the top of the list for most of these events. 3 of the 3 have camping on site, so outfits have to survive living in a bag on the ground for several days.

Stylistically the crowd here leans camping, beach, party and y2k. Rhythm and Vines is the largest of them at around 25,000 people, and it sets the tone the smaller ones react to. None of that is a dress code. It is what you will see, which is worth knowing if you would rather blend in or deliberately not.

Cities

Festival dressing in New Zealand: FAQ

It depends on which one and when. Festival days in New Zealand range from 24°C (75°F) to 24°C (75°F), with nights down to 14°C (57°F), so a light base plus one carryable warm layer covers most of them. Rain risk is low to moderate, so the day-to-night drop is the main thing to plan around.

The festivals in this guide run in February and December. Exact dates are set by the organisers each year. Check the official site of the festival you are going to before booking travel.

Down to about 14°C (57°F) at the coldest of these festivals. That is cold enough that a jacket you can carry all day is worth the inconvenience.

3 of the 3 festivals listed here have camping on site: Splore Festival, Rhythm and Vines, Northern Bass. Camping changes what you pack. Outfits in sealed sets, separate sleep clothes, and a second pair of dry shoes.

Broken-in boots or trainers, and never anything new. You will walk 15.000 to 30.000 steps a day, and footwear is the only garment that can end your weekend early.