Lakes Festival 2025
Hagley Park, Christchurch
Sunday, December 28th
It was a sweaty summer day for Christchurch’s Lakes Festival. Held in the void between Christmas and New Year, the one-day event allowed avid attendees to rev their engines before the NYE bender began.
Floods of people dressed in jorts, Speedys, and booty shorts descended on the cordoned-off corner of North Hagley Park on Sunday afternoon. Arriving slowly, the crowd began to fill the space amongst the trees and around the ‘lake’, perhaps better described as a pond. But while it was small it was also mighty, and a perfect kick-off for those who would be spending their summer on the festival circuit or in town for Christmas.
From midday to afternoon, the vibes were chill and hazy. The festival brought in a large representation of UK acts, including rock duo Good Neighbours, best known for their TikTok-famous track, “Home”. They brought high energy to the main stage, playing their biggest hits to a mixed crowd as most lazed around on the grass with a beer in hand, while the rest were up on their feet, singing along to the lyrics; it felt like we’d parked up in someone’s backyard at a flat party.
Across the way, Sydney DJ, Club Angel drew a crowd to the Lakes Stage with his rising BPMs. Sparkling, dancing bodies could be seen as the crowd spilled across the grass and around the lake, nodding their heads enthusiastically.
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Between the Park Stage and Lakes Stage was the festival’s wildcard: a club-thumping hidden rave cave hidden.
With the facade of a club and a wooden door, you could only get in with a card marked with an X. These cards were hidden around the festival — it was up to attendees to find one.
Christchurch locals, Chloe, Hang the Saints, and Mr Meaty Boy spun a hefty set, with a notable mention to New Zealand house duo TWOFACED, who have had their single “I Need You” spun by DJ heavyweights across the world. It was a meeting point for both established DJs and emerging acts, with a lineup that felt handpicked and well-matched.
By early evening, Tom Scott of Home Brew stole the show with his tongue-in-cheek and witty quips. For the hip-hop lovers in the crowd, it was by far the best set.
UK electronic duo Maribou State were up next, but the changeover felt too long between sets — where Home Brew had sped up momentum, Maribou State worked hard to bring it back. Touring for the first time in a long time due to Chris David’s brain condition, their set was clearly long-awaited by fans who were singing along to all of it. Talulah Ruby’s voice, sounding almost ethereal, was a standout.
As twilight descended, the heavy drum and bass began. Female powerhouse and Kiwi DJ SIN brought the party for Gen Z festival-goers with her high-energy stage presence and ’90s remixes; over on the Lakes Stage, Alix Perez brought a certain kind of Belgian-born, NZ-based grunt for those waiting to slap on those Speedys and try out their stank face. Mozey brought the chaos with a high-octane rave, getting the crowd going as the heavier tones of KETTAMA followed.
As a punter who was dipping their toes into drum and bass, the order of sets leading up to Wilkinson was appreciated: the UK heavyweight, I initially had thoughts of leaving at 10 pm to get a cheap Uber and avoid the crowd, but sandwiched between hordes of both new and old-school ravers, the atmosphere had me in a chokehold, keeping me there until well after the last blow of the UK heavyweight’s most popular mix, “Afterglow”.
Throughout, the day, Lakes was accessible for everyone and had something to suit all music tastes. It wasn’t designed to be niche, and it didn’t have to be. Like an afternoon flat party, it felt tailored to having beers in the sun with friends.
The bonus was that the promoters knew their audience well — the lineup reflected that their fingers were on the pulse. (Special mention goes to Beccie Barclay and SIN, who are both doing great things for women in the DJ industry.)
No stone was overlooked, and the eclectic lineup offered up something different. The bill also, crucially, supported local acts, at the same time as bringing big-name UK artists over for the Kiwi summer.
Find out more about Lakes Festival here.
