Described as a “boutique music and arts festival” in the business of “transformational experiences”, Splore is held for three days every two years on the shores of the Tapapakanga Regional Park, 72 kilometres south-east of Auckland.
Headlining this year’s event are DJ Shadow, ambient house DJs The Orb on their 25th anniversary tour, and UK post-punk electro artist Ebony Bones. But as is the case with Camp A Low Hum and Womad, the environs and “vibe” of Splore are as much of a drawcard (if not more so, let’s be honest) as the performers.
“It’s a very beautiful venue; you can literally go for a swim while watching Erykah Badu on stage,” says Music 101’s Sam Wicks. (Obviously not this year, because Erykah Badu isn’t playing.) “Organisers do put a lot of time into making it look fantastic. They’ll have a beachfront bar… little details, y’know? They really care about how the place looks.”
Splore: the venue Photo: Supplied
Splore is also unique in that there’s as much focus on art installations, theatrical performances, AV and multimedia displays, and workshops as there is on music. Seasoned Splore-goer Molly McCarthy (“I’m part of the Te Henga Collective theme camp, if you want to put that in”) says the festival’s strength is not in its line-up but all the extras that come with the festival.
“Unlike BDO or Laneway, you won’t see people waiting at the stage for hours to get a good spot for the band they want to see,” she writes over email. “That’s not to say the music isn’t good – the line-ups, even when you’ve never heard of 50 per cent of the acts, are always good. But make sure you take the time to explore and enjoy the plethora of other cool shit going on too. There are interactive art installations littered throughout the bush; a tonne of market stalls; a great beach or lagoon, and heaps of themed camping grounds to check out too.”
This year, with the festival opening on Valentine’s Day, the theme for the party on the second night is “Love”: “With Eros and Aphrodite in the house we’ll make whoopee until the dawn” promises the programme.
Despite how this might sound, Splore is a family-friendly festival, as McCarthy says.
“One of the coolest things about Splore is that they know how to make ‘family-friendly’ and ‘festival’ really really work for them. You’ll see toddlers partying alongside 20-somethings, alongside 50-somethings,” she says. “If you think this sounds super naff, trust me: it works. What this means though, is that while everyone’s still welcome to have a fantastic time, it’s not so cool to take too many drugs or get so boozed you forget who you are and scare some children. There’s a time and a place for getting this wasted, and it’s called Rhythm and Vines.”
Lucas Jensen-Carey, of 95bFM’s News and Editorial team, describes Splore in one word: “chilled”. “You’re at a beach, camping under the stars, and watching some excellent music.”
For what it’s worth, his pick of the line-up are the Ragga Twins. “They’ve found themselves back in the public eye thanks to a killer tune with Marc Pritchard, and they’ll bring the dancehall and jungle heaviness for you to dance the night away.”
Gates open 8am this Friday, with the main stage and other entertainment kicking off around lunchtime. In a bid to reduce the number of cars at Splore, festival organisers have ramped up the public transport to the site from Auckland this year, with bus, ferry, and private shuttles available.
Parking at the event is also free for vehicles arriving with three or more passengers; if you rock up with your Toyota Starlet to yourself, your $50 parking pass won’t be refunded. Splore is also likely to be the only music festival in New Zealand that has an FAQ on “Bringing a boat” (or “pre-cycling”).
You’re not allowed to bring your own booze, sound system, or pets (“in any shape or form”), and there’s a total glass and fire ban that includes fire poi. Sorry.
Your ticket price includes free camping on site, though there are often “glamping” packages you can upgrade to. “Try to go with a big group of friends,” says Lucas Jensen-Carey. “It’s always fun to set up a little tent city at the campsite where you can all hang out away from it all, if you need a break.”
Jensen-Carey recommends preparing for all weather eventualities, though you can afford to cut corners on food preparation. “Prepare for all eventualities; I got drenched at the last Splore due to lack of rain readiness. Don’t bring too much with you – Splore is all about low environmental impact, so the more crap you bring, the more rubbish you’ll be taking home with you. The food stalls are always awesome at Splore. Don’t bother preparing your meals beforehand, because you’ll just let it go to waste as you buy that delicious jerk chicken from the Jamaican place.”
The site must be vacated by 7pm on Sunday. If you’re champing at the bit for a weekend getaway, tickets are still available for $255 plus booking fee from iTicket, but we’ll have coverage of the event care of Music 101 next week.