Music festival a three-day dance odyssey
A multi-day music and arts festival held at the picturesque Tauherenikau Racecourse in South Wairarapa, 13-15 March 2020. By Walt Dickson.
Dubbed a three-day dance odyssey, the 121 Festival will feature top-tier international, emerging and heritage musicians and artists across multiple stages playing house, techno, dub, roots, soul, funk, rock, and hip hop.
The line-up is staked with international headlining talent and flourishes of New Zealand local bands. The festival is the brainchild of 121, a Wellington-based entertainment company.
The diversity of musicians and artists coupled with the stunning venue at Tauherenikau have all the ingredients to make 121 Festival an “incredible experience”, co-founder Olly de Salis says.
“We are really focused on creating an opportunity for people to come and connect, dance, and get inspired. We also want to provide a platform for emerging musicians and artists to flourish,” he says.
The festival will take full advantage of the unique setting at Tauherenikau among the ancient kahikatea trees and range of racecourse buildings. Tickets for the inaugural event are limited to 5,000, two thirds of which will be three-day passes. Ticket prices range from $189 to $249 for the three days.
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For revellers wanting to pitch a tent there will be several options including premium and general camping as well as glamping, cardboard tents and pre-pitched tents also available.
Founded in 2014, 121 had its beginnings in the family home of de Salis when, as an 18-year-old, he ran house parties while his mum and dad were overseas. When the folks returned he teamed up with Cameron Morris and Tim Ward and used their party-throwing skills to host events in more appropriate spaces such as tug boats, underground car parks, theatres, and empty office blocks.
121 has proven its pulling power, growing rapidly with notable events including 2018’s Warehouse Rave at Avalon Studio headlined by NZ music royalty Fat Freddy’s Drop which brought in 3,500 people, and the second-year event at Carlucci Land with an audience of 1,800.
The entertainment company has built a strong and loyal community, partly due to the weekend to weekend home Club 121 in the middle of Cuba Street, “one of the most popular clubs in New Zealand”.
“People who come to our events come for the music, the dancing and the arts – they have an awesome experience. At 121 Festival we’ll be taking things to another level, and we are pretty darn excited.”
The historic Tauherenikau racecourse, just a few kilometres up the road from Featherston, is no stranger to hosting events outside of its usual staple of galloping thoroughbreds. Jet-boat racing on a purpose-built circuit in the middle of the racecourse is one of the more extreme deviations from what punters normally associate with provincial racecourses.
Matthew Sherry, the manager of Wairarapa Racing Club, which owns and operates the facility, says it is a case of thinking outside the square to ensure that the asset is used as much as possible.
“We have got such a fantastic facility here, with a strong history, so it is vital that we keep looking for ways to use it” A sort-after venue for weddings and special celebrations, and popular with motorhomes and caravaners, Sherry says Tauherenikau has become a destination.
The annual 3-day Wairarapa Country Music Festival, held in January, also has a growing following. Sherry says next year’s 121 Festival “opens a whole new market, a different age group, an exciting new event for the region and it’s at our place… it couldn’t get much better than that.”
More information at: www.121festival.co.nz
