Tuki 2018 Line-Up Announced With UMO, Marlon Williams, Aaradhna + More

The long-standing festival known as Rippon now takes the new moniker of Tuki Festival and has found a new home just up the road from its vineyard location and will now be held at Glendhu Bay on the edge of Lake Wanaka. The line-up for the inaugural Tuki festival is looking top notch with US-based outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra heading home to perform alongside Aussie-based ex pat Marlon Williams, as well as Aaradhna, The Phoenix Foundation and more excellent acts. Here are the details...

Tuki Festival 2018
Saturday 10th February, Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka

Featuring... Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Marlon Williams, Aaradhna, Maala, Mel Parsons, The Shambles, The Phoenix Foundation, Lips.

Here's UMO's clip for 'Necessary Evil' lifted from Multi-Love...

Here's Aaradhna with the recently released clip for 'Forever Love'...

And here is the clip for 'Dark Child' by Marlon Williams...

PRESS RELEASE:

Wanaka's TUKI festival announces lineup

The “newest-oldest” festival on the block, TUKI 2018, has released its lineup for the February 10 Lake Wanaka SouNZ event.

Multiple award-winning US-based band Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) will perform alongside Aaradhna, Marlon Williams, The Phoenix Foundation, The Shamblés, Mel Parsons, Lips and Maala among others.

Having performed on such global shows as Seth Meyers, Conan O’Brien and Carson Daly, UMO, fronted by Kiwi Ruban Nielson (The Mint Chicks), will be performing to an audience of several thousand in the South Island this summer.

Also on the TUKI bill, 25-year-old Marlon Williams originally found his calling as a child growing up in Lyttelton. “The first three things I remember Mum listening to were PJ Harvey, early choral music and Smokey Robinson,” Williams says. Taking out Best Male Solo Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2015 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards, and selling out shows throughout North America, the UK and Europe, Williams has been described by the Sunday Star Times as possessing “one of the richest voices you’ll hear anywhere in New Zealand”.

Shapeshifter’s frontman P Digsss joins Anika Moa as co-MC of the first TUKI festival. “This will be the seventh Sounz event I’ve been a part of - bring it!” says P Digsss, while Moa chimes in, “I’m gonna wear something super-spanky that will keep the focus on me.”

Formerly known as Rippon Festival, the event will take place at Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka and features a FunZone and award-winning local craft beers and Central Otago wines. The word “TUKI” comes from the nearby Matukituki Valley and means “mouthpiece” in Maori.

Organisers of the not-for-profit event have been thrilled with the response, noting some long-time festival-goers are now parents, and are keen to introduce their offspring to the Wanaka concert that holds some of their favourite summertime memories.

The TUKI event brings a plethora of experiences to festival-goers, including an enchanted forest, innovative food from local producers, and interactive installations. However, director Lynne Christie points out top-quality music remains the key focus.

“I’ve always loved the passion, the powerful reactions, the diverse opinions that music inspires. People feel incredibly connected to great music, and a killer live experience trumps everything,” Christie says.

Tickets are on sale from August 18th through Ticketek and www.tukifestival.nz