The 30th of January 2021 brings the return of the River Sounds Festival to be held again in Katikati, Bay of Plenty. The not-for-profit music festival is dedicated to raising mental health awareness and all proceeds from this event will be donated to MusicHelps and Te Whare Mahana Trust.
The theme of the festival will be ‘beneath the surface’ – encouraging festival goers to share more than just the version of themselves we usually present to the world. Many people are carrying internal struggles, illnesses, fears and panic especially as they navigate the unknown during a global pandemic. The festival will be curated to encourage people to share these experiences, all while listening to live music and forming lasting connections.
The River Sounds Festival was created out of tragedy, as a one-off event, to remember the brother of two of the founders, who took his life after a decade long struggle with mental illness. However, after raising over $23K for mental health and an overwhelming response from attendees to bring the festival back, it is now a Biennial event. The Everyone Hurts Foundation was established as a registered charity in 2019 to continue to support mental health in New Zealand through events like the River Sounds Festival.
One of the founders of the festival has been fighting her own battle with mental illness and has been receiving treatment at Te Whare Mahana, one of the charities, the Festival is supporting this year, “the therapists and coaches are so passionate and committed to our recoveries, constantly showing us how to be at one with our emotions in an environment that never judges – only inspires and nurtures us to find our inner strength and resilience.”- Jessica Dine.
This year’s lineup will feature a diverse range of New Zealand musical talent. Headlining the show is Finn Andrews from The Veils who will be showcasing his incredible talent as a solo artist. Auckland five-piece Milly Tabak and The Miltones will be blending their particular brand of modern blues-rock.
Rising Auckland indie stars, Daffodils, are expected to be crowd favourites. Molly and The Chromatics, a five-piece band, with their two-parts horn section are known as an exciting and highly danceable act. Rounding out the first lineup release are two solo female artists, Holly Afoa and Renee Coffey. Katikati local Renee uses loop pedals to build up layers and has a unique sound with a lot of soul. Holly’s sound demands to be heard to be described, with an ever-changing sound and a musical repertoire that defies genre. There will also be more incredible NZ acts to be announced soon.
As the festival is all about mental health awareness there will be a lineup of mental health activities and speeches to encourage tough conversations about where people are truly at with their mental health and to promote spiritual, physical and mental wellness, There will also be local food vendors onsite and drinks will be available to purchase at the onsite bar.
Tickets are available now via Moshtix and can be purchased here.
You can read more about the event on the Everyone Hurts website here.
