Fabulous NZ Festivals of Summer 2023

New Zealand has an incredible selection of festivals to enjoy and experience.

The season of transformation

I loved my first festival experience so much, that I went to two more NZ festivals this summer – and they were magical experiences – and all quite different to each other.

Whereas Aum, the New Year’s Eve festival, was a wild extravaganza of dress-ups and music, my next two festivals, had a different vibe.

NZ Spirit Festival – North Island

The beautiful and oh-so-spacious Ariki Estate, near the Kaipara Harbour, north of Auckland, was the beautiful setting for the North Island NZ Spirt Festival: a four day (three night) extravaganza.

A family-friendly event, it was wonderful to see children playing amongst the hay bales – something that very much reminded me of growing up on a farm in rural England! No devices, just mucking around with your mates outdoors. Kids being kids. Brilliant.

What set this festival apart for me was the incredible amount of choice: so much healthy food! So many amazing shopping stalls! So many healers and healing modalities! There was so much space – including the camping.

And, oh my gosh, the workshops!

A transformational experience

The workshop programme at NZ Spirit was INSANE. Seriously. There were five workshop zones, including a kids/whānau zone. There was so much to choose from it was difficult to decide – I found that attending two workshops a day was my limit, factoring in time to eat lunch and dinner, wander round the stalls, and have a boogie.

The workshops included breathwork, sound journeys, ecstatic dance, a blue lotus tea ceremony, a class on strengthening intuition, brain education, healers’ groups, men’s circles, astrology, plant medicine, cacao and maca workshops, and so much more. My personal favourites were ‘Wild Women Embodied’, ‘Living in Love’, and a talk by Bruce Lipton. (And I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to attend TwerkWork; I saw the end of it, and it looked like a lot of fun as well as being designed to instil confidence.)

I also had sessions with a couple of healers, including an enlightening reading of my Akashic Records. That, plus the workshops, made the festival a truly transformative experience for me. I left NZ Spirit a stronger, more confident person than when I’d arrived.

Why go to NZ Spirit Festival?

Go for the relaxed, friendly vibe. The workshops, healers, and transformations. The connections. To discover new aspects of yourself.

NZ Spirit Festival photo montage

Earth Beat Festival

I was glad to have a number of festivals under my belt before this one came along: it’s five days (four nights), so it’s important to know how to pace yourself and find your camping groove!

Location-wise, Earth Beat was in a similar area to NZ Spirt, near the Kaipara Harbour. Ātiu Creek Regional Park and campground is actually Auckland’s third-largest regional park, but I bet most Aucklanders haven’t heard of it – let alone been there. Which is a shame, as it’s absolutely stunning, and perfectly suited to a festival.

The Earth Beat organisers aim to make the festival bigger and better every year – and speaking to people who attended the previous festival, that seems to be very much the case. By all accounts, the 2023 edition was larger, with more zones and spaces to explore and discover. I personally thought the organisation of the festival was mostly excellent – a nice touch were the printed programmes. It was handy to read up a little bit about each of the workshops to assist in selecting what to attend. Very professional. 👌

A well-thought-out workshop programme

Earth Beat had four main workshop zones, plus an additional zone for teenagers, and another area for younger kids: this too is a family-friendly festival.

The programme consisted of a wealth of self-development workshops, but also sessions on how to live more sustainably, with the opportunity to learn about ecology, organic gardening, native plants, natural ways to wellness, how to prepare a hāngi, and more.

I personally enjoyed ‘The Secrets of Exceptional Health’ and learning Indian head massage – though my absolute favourite session was meditational drumming. I’d never drummed before, but it was something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, so it was wonderful to get the opportunity and with great tuition. It didn’t matter that I’m unco; it was all about the fun and getting lost in the beat.

Like NZ Spirit, there were more workshops available than I could possibly ever attend – and choosing what to go to was hard, as there were so many amazing options. Plus there were numerous music stages: I danced so much at Earth Beat that by the end of the five days I could barely walk! Earth Beat had some well-known NZ acts performing: The Black Seeds were groovy, with their New Zealand style reggae. But oh-my-gosh – how amazing were Pitch Black: the electronica duo were absolutely cranking. Love love loved them.

The music selection at Earth Beat was wide-ranging – there was something for everyone. Personally I was delighted there was a dedicated house music tent. 💃 🙌

Me relaxing at the campsite in between dancing and workshops… I danced until my legs couldn’t take it any more!

I sure did a lot of walking at Earth Beat, as there were numerous zones to discover: the camping area; the market stalls; the healers’ area and workshop tents; the drumming and teepee area. Music stages and food stalls were scattered throughout, with magical art installations in between. It was an absolute delight to discover and explore.

The people watching was fun, too. The folks who were there for the full festival duration had, on the whole, an earthy and spiritual look. Whereas the weekend crowd were the dress-up types in fantastical and colourful costumes. A place where each person could be themselves; there was space for everyone.

Why go to Earth Beat festival?

Earth Beat gives you everything you could possibly wish for in a festival: music, art, workshops… it’s a feast for all the senses, super friendly, in a stunning location, and with an awesome vibe. I highly recommend it.