Matakanarama Festival 2025 – Matakana Coast, 29–31 December (13th Floor Festival Review)
So Matakanarama? Absolute summer vibe. Think lush green fields, salty coastal air, and a crowd that feels like a group of mates but multiplied by a thousand or so.
It’s seeking to carve its own space within the crowded New Year/Summer music festival market. Not full of absolute bangers like Laneway, with its city-slick energy, or Rhythm and Vines, with its massive scale and carefully planned road trip. It’s doing its own thing, smaller, varied, connected, and honestly, it nails it.
Matakanarama isn’t just another festival. It’s a grassroots dream turned reality. What began as a few mates throwing a New Year’s party in the bush has grown into a 1,500-person celebration of music, freedom, and connection. No big-brand noise, no fake hype, just a curated mix of play, presence, and pure summer energy. Now in its second edition, it managed to stay intimate, authentic, and deeply tied to the land.
Not immune to weather problems, the opening was delayed until 3 pm to allow the weather to settle, meet H&S considerations for Vendors and those setting up tents, and also to allow the organisers to reset after the winds from the previous night had pretty much undone much of the prep work.
Despite the challenges of the weather, with strong winds and delayed access to the tent site, rolling in on day one, the energy was pure summer freedom. People were still rocking those “I woke up like this” festival outfits. Everyone was still smiling, genuinely smiling, and the whole place had that easy, barefoot-in-the-grass vibe (or gumboots). No stress, no queues-from-hell, just good humans and good tunes. The Main Stage was well-positioned, with everyone able to secure a viewing spot, and the smaller Kawakawa Stage was particularly impressive, set amidst the bush.
The Black Seeds were the perfect Day One sunset soundtrack. Their reggae grooves wrapped around the crowd like a warm hug. Everyone was swaying, drinks in hand, and you could feel that collective “we’re exactly where we need to be” moment. Pure bliss. Standouts include Too True, One by One, and their latest release, Compassion. Other Day One highlights included the grooves of Fools Lagoon, the grunginess of The Beatniks and the DnB of Mystic State, and the classic DJ of Te Puke Thunder on the second stage.
Let’s talk about the Belgium/Kiwi Alix Perez because wow! His Day Two set was next-level. Liquid drum & bass with those silky basslines that just glide under your skin. He has a way of layering beats that makes them feel hypnotic yet still punchy enough to keep you moving. The crowd? Completely locked in. Fairy lights overhead, mist rolling in, and everyone dancing like they’d found their tribe. It was one of those sets where you lose track of time — and honestly, that’s the point. It was suitably followed by Juni’s mash-ups, which kept everyone dancing. Day Two sets people clearly enjoyed included Lo-Fi House of Sticky Akh, Two Minds melodic techno and Nörty Club Collective’s EDM Blends, and, of course, Norm G.
The build-up to the big Day Three countdown saw the crowd heaving to the bass garage of LUCA, the Bristol rave stylings of Disaffected, and Hyan taking us into the New Year. Paige Julia was core to the big final night the local doyen of the underground bass scene kept it flowing with her soundscapes of EDM variety, precise mixing and love for bass delivered a set that ensured everyone was dancing, before Melbourne’s ISGWAN and local vinyl specialist DJ Bax took out the Main Stage and the delightful Miss K closed out the event on the Kawakawa stage.
The festival is built on EDM, and this is where a lot of the magic happened. A rotating crew of local and international DJs, think Bristol breakbeat and dubstep, Aussie bass wizards and Kiwis from all over the country bringing everything from House, Techno to dreamy synths and retro disc spinning. The dual stages ensured that everyone was catered for and there was always something to grab the ears and get the feet moving. Even allowed me to catch the lads from Orchard Collective!
This was all blended with a small, very impressive set of bands, Fools Lagoon bringing the funk to the opening, The Beatniks smashed away any remaining Xmas cobwebs with their post-punk sonic assault and on day three Wet Denim delivered one of the highlight sets that has seen them on repeat on my headphones while I write this.
Honestly? The whole experience felt like an end-of-year escape. Not super corporate, minimal “Instagram-only” energy, just people vibing, connecting, and celebrating the last days of the year. The food stalls were chill (hello, wood-fired pizza, Thai delicacies and bao buns), and the drink lines? Manageable. Plus, the site itself, with bush-framed stages and a sniff of ocean, gave everything a dreamy, postcard feel. For our last two sets we retreated to sit on the hill and just take in the whole scene. It was evident the organisers had put a lot of thought into every aspect of the experience. Yes, revelers do need access to a hot food source at 11 pm and waking up to a barista-made coffee certainly puts you in the right mood. The option during the morning to shoot off to the local beaches for a splash was a real bonus.
For an event like this to run smoothly is a real credit to all the people who came together to make it happen. The ability to select from day passes or full festival tickets was a masterstroke, as it appeared that some people came just for The Black Seeds, but also allowed the crowd to sell out significantly on NYE. Shuttle service to key pickup/dropoff sites worked like a dream.
It was pretty cool to see international artists, including a bunch over from Bristol for some summer fun, intermingled with talent from Wellington, Dunedin, Auckland, and beyond. It added depth to the feeling that this was about community. This isn’t about chasing headliners or flexing for Instagram. It’s about community vibes, shared experiences, and kaitiakitanga — caring for the whenua and ocean like they’re part of the crew. You leave lighter, happier, and maybe a little more in love with life. It’s a festival that feels personal, soulful, and rooted in community. Simply Matakanarama was both a fantastic way to spend New Years and undoubtedly one of the events of the summer.
Branwen Hastings
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Dhruv Behal:
