Campervans will roll into Wingatui racecourse for a three-day country music festival this weekend.
Organisers of the Silverpeaks Country Music Festival say fans are travelling from around New Zealand and Australia for the Dunedin event.
When is the silverpeaks country music festival at wingatui?
The Silverpeaks Country Music Festival runs from Friday to Sunday, March 20 to 22, at Wingatui racecourse.
The programme starts on Friday night at 7pm with a concert by guest artists Yvonne Munro, Craig Adams, Valley Bluegrass, and emerging young performer Caitlin Henderson.
Publicist Frances Partridge said the festival had built a loyal following over the past few years.
“We have been running the festival for a few years now, and it is the only festival of its type in the area , so people really enjoy coming along,” she said.
The event lands in a busy autumn calendar for Dunedin live entertainment, with the city also hosting the Dunedin Fringe Festival and the upcoming Wild Dunedin programme.
We have been running the festival for a few years now, and it is the only festival of its type in the area , so people really enjoy coming along.
Who is performing, and what will audiences see?
The weekend format mixes headline concerts with informal daytime sessions designed to bring newcomers and established artists onto the same stage.
Daytime on Saturday and Sunday includes “walk-ups” and showcase sessions, where performers can step forward for a set, and lunchtime songwriter sessions that focus on original material.
Partridge said the showcases attract variety, from club regulars to younger singers and full bands.
“We get a broad range of performers stepping up for the showcase events, including bands, young singers, and Silverpeaks Country Music Club members,” she said.
Alongside the guest artists, award-winning country musician Melissa Partridge will perform across the weekend, both as part of the backing band and as a feature act on Saturday night.
What happens at saturday night’s country music dance?
Saturday’s main evening event is the Silverpeaks Country Music Festival Dance, starting at 7.30pm.
The dance bill includes Melissa Partridge and the Connor Family bands from Nelson, giving the night a different feel from the Friday concert.
Festival organisers have leaned into the dance tradition as a social anchor for the weekend, pairing formal performances with a chance to get on the floor.
For people weighing up a trip to Wingatui, the racecourse location offers a straightforward venue layout, with large open spaces and the ability to move between sessions without leaving the grounds.
Why wingatui racecourse is the venue, and how campers fit in
Partridge said Wingatui racecourse was chosen because it could comfortably handle the travelling audience that follows country music events.
“Wingatui racecourse was the ideal place to hold the festival, as it had plenty of parking for campervans,” she said.
The festival expects a visible campervan presence again this year.
“We usually have quite a lineup of campervans parked up for the festival , it’s great to see,” Partridge said.
The site’s scale and parking is part of a wider pattern in Otago events, where organisers look for venues that can handle visitors arriving in their own vehicles. Rally fans, for instance, have long planned trips around the annual April motorsport run, with the Otago Rally drawing competitors and support crews into the region.
How performers are backed across the weekend
Singers and solo performers will be supported by the Silverpeaks show band, which will accompany artists throughout the weekend.
Partridge said the band line-up is Phil Doublet on lead guitar, Reid Hudson on steel guitar, Melissa Partridge on guitar, James Davy on bass, and Bevan Gardiner on drums.
“They are a fantastic band, and give all our performers great support,” she said.
Having a dedicated house band helps the festival keep the programme moving between walk-ups, showcases and songwriter sessions, with consistent sound and a familiar group of musicians for guest artists.
It also gives less experienced performers a chance to play with musicians who know how to follow a set, change tempo quickly, and cover the onstage gaps that can appear in informal sessions.
For audience members, the result is a weekend that can shift from bluegrass harmonies to classic country dance numbers without long breaks to reset.
Tickets, door sales, and where to find official event details
Organisers are selling tickets in advance and will also offer door sales across the weekend.
For information and tickets, people can email FrancesPartridge@xtra.co.nz or phone 021 107-6996.
Visitors planning travel can also check driving conditions and local alerts through Waka Kotahi NZTA’s traffic information pages before heading to Wingatui.
The festival begins at 7pm on Friday, March 20, with the guest artists’ concert at Wingatui racecourse.
