The Ten Must-Sees of Splore 2014

Positioned in the enticing bay of Tapapakanga Regional Park, the three-day Splore festival hosts a new and fresh experience for city-slicker, hippy, music lover, art critic and entertainment aficionado alike – basically it has it all.

One part music festival, one part art installation and two parts incredible vibe (with a dash of an indefinable element that makes it arguably the greatest festival in NZ), there is so much to see and do at Splore that you often miss the trees for the overwhelming nature of the forest. There’s so much ‘big picture’ going on that the little things get missed - the local artist on the fourth stage, the storyteller tucked away during the afternoon, the incredible creativity scattered around the art trail, the Jamaican goat curry… to name just a few.

As they say, Splore is equal parts liberation and libation; idealism and interactivity; creative showcase and community springboard. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a must-see top ten list of things you won’t want to miss at Splore 2014.

10. The Joy Booth

There’s more to love at Splore, and interactions with strangers are all part of the fun. Binge Culture delivers just the ticket with The Joy Booth, an experience that aims to lead you to an unexpected place via a familiar context. Sit down, buckle in and prepare for a joy expert to connect you in new and mysterious ways with those you know or someone completely new.

9. Sal Valentine and the Babyshakes

A ten-piece ensemble known around the rhythm and blues haunts of the Auckland CBD. There’s nothing quite like seeing this lot crank out a soulful, heartfelt and all-round amazing set at the atmosphere that is Splore. As Sal says, “I can give you a guarantee that it's gonna be absolutely fangin”.

8. Old Mout Cider Love Shack

What can we say; it’s a beach hut with music and cocktails, offering late night hangouts as well as being an all night party spot (with prime waterfront views).  If you’re looking for a place to escape the madness of the main stage, this is truly it.

7. Fresh Water Lagoon

Located just past the Old Mout Cider Love Shack, this sometimes-tranquil, sometimes-packed spot offers an easy (and non-salty) alternative to your morning shower. The ideal spot for a quick dip, it’s a must-do during your Splore experience. Take a lilo or practise your cannonballing, it’s all good either way.

6. Nag

A true treat on the art trail, Nag is best described by the artists themselves: For every creative leap there are hundreds of stumbles. But sometimes you make (and stumble) and make (and stumble) and make (and stumble) and at the end of it all everything you’ve made still needs work. So do you stop? Or do you nag yourself to keep on going? Nag is an installation powered by the artists themselves that focuses on creative self-propulsion and takes sustainability to a bizarre and Kafkaesque level.

5. Workshops

There’s never a time in your life when learning stops, so why not utilise the accumulated talent of the slightly weird at Splore for your own benefit and mental expansion? With early morning Tai Chi classes to launch fresh into a big day, or pushing your physical envelope with circus skill workshops, we strongly suggest checking these out for some literal consciousness.

4. TY

Our favourite spoken word/rapper to be performing at Splore. Known for his lyrical frankness and honest portrayals of everyday life, TY’s uncompromising original style has earned him an enviable reputation with four albums and a Mercury Prize nomination. Check out our interview with him here.

3. The Food Stalls

We’ll be honest this could be considered the highlight of the event, particularly for some of our writers. Packed with vegetarian, alternative, healthy and delicious options you’ll find everything from classic burritos to Jamacian goat curry, vegetarian curries to snowcones. While bringing camping food and snacks is a good idea, if you’re looking to indulge the food vendors at Splore are hard to beat.

2. DJ Shadow

Seriously, could this absolute hallmark of Hip Hop/Electronica go unmissed? The headline act, and a steadfast purveyor of perfection when it comes to beats and ground-breaking innovation, the artist that is Joshua Davis will surely tear the roof off Friday night at the gig – we can’t wait. If you haven’t heard of him (how/why) be sure to check out the quintessential DJ Shadow hit "Organ Donor".

1. The Art Trail

While for many festival goers at Splore the music is the mainstay, for the Concrete Playground team there’s no going past the art trail in general. Featuring year-long developments of interactive, collaborative and mind-blowing art projects (including many installation pieces) it’s just like the event team say - anything goes; Pohutukawa trees are shrines wrapped in multicoloured strands of wool, cinemas are powered by bicycles, a tin hut becomes a steam-punk time machine. For us, there’s nothing better about Splore then spending a full day (and night) wandering, discovering and having the time of your life.