Nest Fest Hawke's Bay: Behind the scenes of the popular festival

Hawke’s Bay Today reporter Michaela Gower went behind the scenes at Nest Fest to see what it takes to organise the popular event.

Nest Fest returns to the Hawke’s Bay Tōmoana Showgrounds Grounds in Hastings for the weekend and is bigger and better than ever.

The two-day summer festival extravaganza, which finishes on Saturday, was cancelled in 2023 but this year is ready for the hoards of festival-goers set to swarm the event.

With 3500 tickets sold, the audience has come from around the country, the majority from Wellington.

“We have a big travelling audience, but we want to get more of the locals behind this event so that we can keep coming back and having it here,” event founder Harry Pettit said.

With 50 to 60 artists set to perform across four stages, he was amazed how far the event had come in the six years it has been running.

The event is designed and crafted to create a special experience with two live stages and two electronic stages, called planet, tree, main and sand stage, in different areas.

“The main stage is always focused on live performance, the sand stage is quite eclectic.”

This year will be the first time the festival has run across two days and had overnight camping.

Working alongside Pettit has been event manager Beth Elstone, who advises concert-goers to come prepared.

“It’s going to be a nice vibe in there and it’s going to be hot.”

With over 100 volunteers signed up to help, Elstone said they were inundated with people willing to work behind the scenes.

“We have rostered about 60 to 70 of them so there is a big army here today finishing off the last bits, the final overlay which makes it look beautiful.”

She said people would be surprised at how much work goes on in the background.

“Whenever I go to one of these is right at the beginning and there is no dazzle on the grass. This was just an empty paddock and we go through square up and measure and carefully place all of these things.”

Along with music, there will be food and drink stalls, live pottery, live painting, tie-dye, henna, tattoos and vintage clothes.

Entrance for pick up and drop off, buses, cars, and people camping will be on Elwood Rd, and for those walking the best entrance will be down Kenilworth Rd, through Gate 2.

Public gates open from midday, with both nights finishing at 11pm.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.