Time for Raggamuffin, Big Day Out & Laneway | Rotorua Entertainment | Events, Movies and TV Guide for Rotorua

Summer's here which means it's festival season. Here's our guide to three major events on the festival calendar this month


Raggamuffin: January 27-28, Rotorua International Stadium
Another festival to lose a major act, with pop star Marvin Priest pulling out. But, instead, fans get to enjoy JBoog and Spawnbreezie. This reggae showcase is a huge annual event attracting tens of thousands of people to Rotorua. Past headliners have included UB40, Mary J Blige, Sean Kingston and Shaggy. This year, for the fifth anniversary, UB40 frontman Ali Campbell's back, sharing the stage with Junior Marvin, Arrested Development, Sly & Robbie and Billy Ocean, as well as 20 other artists over two days.

Our picks: Spawnbreezie (Sat 12.55pm), Kora (Sat 4.25pm), Sly & Robbie (Sat 6.45pm).

What you need to know: Tickets from Ticketmaster, prices vary. Friday, gates open 5pm. Saturday, main arena opens 11am. Bring: sunscreen, hat, ID. You'll need to buy festival currency for use at stadium. Buses will run to the venue. Parking $10 per day.

Big Day Out: January 20, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

This year's line-up took a major blow when Kanye West was kicked off the bill, but grunge fans should be happy with the return of Soundgarden to the Big Day Out headline spot.

They're joined by Kasabian, My Chemical Romance, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and skateboard legend Tony Hawk, as well as the usual contingent of Kiwi acts like Six60, Kimbra, David Dallas and Gin Wigmore.

Our picks: Soundgarden (9pm, Big Day Out), Jakob (9pm, Green Stage), Kimbra (5.15pm, Green Stage), Six60 (3.15pm, Boiler Room), High Air Shootout (Skate Ramp, 7pm).

What you need to know: Tickets are $160 from bigdayout.com or Ticketmaster.

St Jerome's Laneway Festival: January 30, Silo Park, Auckland

In its third year, Laneway comes to Auckland on the city's anniversary day. The indie music festival will take place on the water's edge at the revamped Silo Park in the Wynyard Quarter. It's an alternative festival, so don't be ashamed if you haven't heard of any of the acts. Though this year Neil Finn will be involved with Pajama Club, and indie darlings Feist and Gotye have had popular releases in the past year. Other headliners include The Horrors and Laura Marling. Organisers say the Laneway Festival is about "leading new and revered seminal music" and "finding what's fresh and great and bringing it to unique settings and surrounds to be appreciated by music lovers." Sounds good to us.

Our picks: Feist, The Horrors, Cults, Anna Calvi, Yuck.

What you need to know: Tickets $127 from auckland.lanewayfestival.com.au. Festival runs from midday to 11pm.

ALSO COMING UP:

Homegrown, February 18, Wellington

Featuring, well, who isn't playing? Headliners include Shihad, Feelers, OpShop, Fat Freddy's Drop, Kora, Black Seeds, Six60, Zowie, David Dallas, Tiki Taane and more.

Our picks: Optimus Grime feat. Tiki, Smashproof, The Adults. Tickets $95 plus fees. Postponement day: February 19.