Featuring an impressive line-up of New Zealand acts and artists, the inaugural Ote Fest is expected to draw a sell-out crowd of 500 youth to Loch Laird.
The three-day festival has been organised by local organisations to offer Waitaki youth live music, dancing and activities in a safe environment.
Tickets for the alcohol-free festival, available for 16 to 20-year-olds, go on sale on September 15.
The list of performers includes Moorhouse, DJ Asher, who was behind the turntables on the Red Bull Hummer main stage at Parachute 2014 and hosts Life FM's Remixed each Saturday night, and Christchurch urban arts collective and performance crew Swarm, which has performed at festivals around the world.
As well as live music, the event will include a range of activities such as paintball shooting, mega games, sports, a bonfire and graffiti art with world champion graffiti artists Charles and Janine Williams.
Event co-ordinator Eugen Dupu said the festival was about bringing something extra to the Otematata and Waitaki communities for young people, before school exams and, for some, as their high school years come to an end.
In the past, there had been an informal annual gathering of young people camping at Loch Laird and their alcohol consumption had raised serious concerns, Constable Craig Bennett, of Kurow, said.
Damage caused by the youths had also impacted on other campers and the Otematata community.
Ote Fest was something ''fun, good and positive, in a safe environment''.
Control of the event had been handed to the Waitaki Youth Council and SADD committee, who had a better understanding of what young people would want from a camping festival.
