The tents are pitched, the first bands have strummed their stuff and excitement is building for today's main event at the inaugural EarthTonz New Year's Eve music festival in the Gibbston Valley.
A line-up of New Zealand acts at "The Edge Bass Camp" stage played to campers setting up tents in yesterday afternoon's glorious sun, with many people choosing to arrive in a day early.
One of those bands playing to the early birds was Queenstown rock outfit the Fletcherz, who are all Wakatipu High School pupils.
Guitarist George Hartshorne (15) said the group had contacted festival organisers when they heard the event was going to be held and were invited to play before the main event, headlined by Tommy Lee, of Motley Crue.
While they were disappointed not to have spotted Lee, Hartshorne said it was "really cool" to have seen United States act Heatbox doing a sound check on the main stage.
Another band of Wakatipu youths, Dubside, were hoping their set would cement them an opening spot on the Gibbston Valley Winery summer concert bill, before the Doobie Brothers.
"We are playing with some pretty big names - not on the same day - but it's great. It's the first proper music festival that we have all played together," saxophonist Jonty Norton (17) said.
Also playing were Hamilton's Knights of the Dub Table Soundsystem, Dunedin groups Hunting Bears and Simple Thieves, Invercargill band Rhythmonyx and Queenstown-based acts the Station Agents and Ghetto Blaster.
Performing from noon today will be international acts Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) and DJ Aero, The Crystal Method, the Freestylers, DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill), Kraak and Smaak, AK 1200/DJ Dara/MC Messinian (Planet of the Drums), Boombox, Ana Sia, Heatbox and Kiwi band Minuit.
