Swae Lee, Shy FX and FOVOS are among the latest additions to Rhythm and Alps 2026, joining an already stacked lineup for the Aotearoa New Zealand festival’s New Year’s celebrations.
The festival returns to Cardrona Valley, near Wānaka, on December 30th-31st, with more than 10,000 attendees expected across the two days.
US rapper Swae Lee leads the new additions, fresh off the release of his debut solo album Same Difference and a Coachella appearance earlier this year. Best known as one half of Rae Sremmurd, Lee has also enjoyed major solo success, including his chart-topping collaboration with Post Malone, “Sunflower”.
He’ll be joined by UK jungle and drum & bass pioneer Shy FX, whose influential 1994 track “Original Nuttah” helped shape the genre, and Aotearoa-born electronic duo FOVOS, who have been making waves internationally with their hard techno sound.
As previously reported, the festival’s first lineup announcement in August confirmed drum & bass powerhouse Dimension, rising UK garage producer MPH, Irish dance duo Belters Only and New Zealand favourites BENEE, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Shapeshifter.
There’s plenty more homegrown talent on the bill, including Lee Mvtthews, NO CIGAR, Wax Mustang, Borderline and Fat Papi, alongside international acts Flava D, Flowidus and Ely Oaks.
This year’s event will also see the return of The Boombox, the festival’s intimate micro-venue, alongside new site layouts, updated formats and additional experiences.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Rhythm and Alps confirmed earlier this year that it would return for its 16th anniversary with a refreshed two-day format, moving away from the three-day event held in previous years.
Last year’s 15th anniversary edition was headlined by Dizzee Rascal, with Rudimental, Santigold, The Black Seeds, Chaos in the CBD and Corrella also appearing across the festival.
Tickets for Rhythm and Alps 2026 are on sale now here, with full festival passes and single-day tickets available for December 30th and 31st. On-site accommodation options include camping, glamping and campervan facilities, while VIP upgrades are also available.
More festival details and experiences will be announced in the coming months.
For complete festival and ticket information, see here.
RHYTHM & ALPS 2026
Wednesday, December 30th, 2026 – Friday, January 1st, 2027
Cardrona Valley, Wānaka, Aotearoa New Zealand
Lineup:
Dimension | Swae Lee
Benee | Fat Freddy’s Drop | MPH | Shapeshifter | Shy FX
Belters Only | Borderline | Charli Brix | Ely Oaks | Fat Papi | Flava D | Flowidus | [Ivy] | Lee Mvtthews | No Cigar | Wax Mustang
Bari | Chris Keene | Deep Notion | Fredsta | Fovos | Hyan | Inmotion | Mikeyy | Pixie Lane | Soul Wun | Suune | Tough Break | Where’s Jai
Bad Birds | Benergizer* | Benthamism | Boaz* | Charlie C | Communicate | Connor Tomoana | DJ Dre | Harperr | Helix | Indecisive | Inertia | Jasper Cali | Kippo* | Knox | Libby K | LJ Groove | Mantis | Maxx Gunn | McNilla | Miss Jane | Nick Munday | Optics | Parry | Ponz | Popper* | Powder Chutes | Rupert Powell | Samson* | Spacella | Steady | Torbz* | Wheels | Yuthe*
* Log Cabin takeover
From Rolling Stone AU/NZ
