Southland Sensation

Take a deep dive with SoulFish (Saelyn Guyton and Steve Miller), the experience might make you dance, sing, laugh and cry or even say churr that was pretty fucking rad. It's really up to you. 

SoulFish play their original music and fuse their original creations into cover songs. If you're not quite sure what to expect, ka pai, neither do they. 

Firm favourite

Back in 2025: The Wonky Donkey Man!

World famous - and not just in New Zealand, Craig Smith is the Wonkey Donkey Man. His popular book series and songs winning multiple international accolades and awards.

The Wonky Donkey is back, this time with Wonky Donkey Games to entertain the children.

Craig will also be entertaining the parents with his folky acoustic guitar.

Uber Cool Bluesman

We are proud to host American/Dunedinite King Leo again at Revitalize where his authentic, original and diverse sound is great for listening and dancing. Leo brings his own powerful and dignified presence to a blend of traditional blues idioms.

Soulful & Magnetic

All the way from Melbourne, Oscar LaDell, Roots singer, songwriter and guitarist who brings a timeless vulnerability to his original blend of Blues, Soul & Folk is also the son of King Leo (Leo LaDell).

Coming on the back of his recent winter tour of Aotearoa, Oscar has recently released his single "Dream of You"

Wonderful Flavours

In both song writing and performance, Wilson Blackley has a style that is distinctly his own. A blend of genres and passions, from old soul to roots and blues, with splashes of pop and rock and no small amount of dynamism. His focus is on acoustic music, his tools being his trusty Maton guitars and lapsteel.

RISING STAR

Originally from Manapouri, but lately Christchurch, Carla has been singing in public since she was three years old. This talented 11 year old also plays violin, piano and she dances. Carla has performed lead/starring roles in in musical theatre, namely joint-lead as Matilda in "Matilda" and Young Anna in "Frozen". She has has recently won a Canterbury Junior Vocal competition. Currently Carla is working on the rocky horror shows as a share-lead performer.

At Revitalize she will sing from a variety of well known musicals and cool Christmas songs, with perhaps a few classical pieces, accompanied by her talented mother Kerstin on keyboard, herself a concert pianist.

Lyrical Singer/
Songwriter

Aart Smith is a Dunedin based Singer/Songwriter.

Musical influences as diverse, as Gospel, Jazz, the Beatles, Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young inform the musical motifs. Later influences include Talking Heads, Radiohead, Crowded House, PJ Harvey and Ryan Adams.

INFECTIOUS RHYTHMS

Onstage: Thursday 2nd Jan

Hailing from the southern reaches of the South Island, Invercargill, Ronnie Stash and the Resistance seamlessly blend blues, Rasta, and rock into a soul-stirring musical journey. Fronted by the mesmerising Jacob Ambrose, whose vocals and guitar work weave tales of passion and resistance, the band is a sonic force to be reckoned with. Jacob's soulful delivery, paired with the rhythmic backbone of Simon Carey on bass and the dynamic beats of Bill Wilkes on drums, forms the core of their distinctive sound. Join the Resistance and immerse yourself in the infectious rhythms and heartfelt lyrics of Ronnie Stash and the Resistance's bluesy Rasta rock vibes.

Join the Resistance: Raw! Authentic! Southern Grit! Soulful Energy!

INSTRUMENTAL ROCK

STILL TO BE CONFIRMED

This Ōtepoti/Dunedin duo brings you geometry and iridescence translated to sound.

Not only is it all of the letters you could ever need to write yourself a shopping list, but also a strange instrumental rock band. Continuous tone-scatter and harmonic deformation by Chris (Bugs) Miller on the bass guitar networks seamlessly with the spiralling beat-flip time division of Paul McLennanKissel (PMK) on the drums. From dense fuzz to crystalline sparseness.

A brand new workshop for the blues fans from King Leo and Oscar LaDell.

***

Leo LaDell or "King Leo" is one of Aotearoa’s best kept musical secrets. He has been playing Blues professionally for over 20 years, singing, playing guitar and harmonica with a variety of great bands. His experience has seen him working with some of the greats of Blues including Pinetop Perkins, Big Bill Morganfield, and Bo Diddley.

During the festival, Tim or Helen Gow, will host a variety of sustainability workshops. These usually encompass a walk and talk format.

The home of Revitalize is a stud farm which has been organic now for more than 30 years. As pioneers of organic farming in New Zealand, the Gows will share the process of Sabbatical Farming which is not only better for the planet than regular farming, but also enables their farm and stock to be healthy and organic without the drenching and artificial fertilising.

Other walk and talk formats include the walk to the top of Butterfly Hill where you can survey the entire farm with rewarding scenic views. And a walk around the stud stock if there is enough interest, including our meaty Shire sheep & hairy Tufty cows (polled Highlands.)

Tim also starts each festival morning with an open grounding ceremony, which is well worth attending.

Electric vehicles are not just limited to city cars. In many ways EVs are more useful on a farm than petrol driven vehicles, because of their durability, power, silence, sustainability, and easy on-farm refuelling (known as recharging in EVs.)

View our fleet of EVs and see how we use them at Mangapiri Downs Organic Studfarm, the home of Revitalize. We also hope to have a selection of light electric road cars on display from local dealership https://electricmv.co.nz/ of Invercargill.

OPEN MIC NIGHT, is on Tuesday evening, 2nd January. If you'd like to perform a piece or two, scroll down to find out how.

Open Mic is all about encouragement. If you'd like to play a song or two on Open Mic night (Tuesday) we recommend that you arrange this with festival organiser, Tim, ahead of time. You could be featured here too. If you'd like to be listed here, please provide us with your name/stage name and a 2 sentence bio. A photo is also appreciated. Otherwise turn up on the night with your instruments and take the chance that there will be time for you. Basic stage gear, including mic, is provided. This is strictly NOT karaoke, but covers are allowed. Other stage performances, such as stand-up comedy, are also welcome, but please check your subject matter with Tim beforehand to ensure it is safe and appropriate for an all-age audience.

Open Mic performers are not paid, and are generally amateur performers or new professional artists who need more stage time. Advice and help from the pros is available if requested. Experienced artists who missed out on the main billing can also take the stage if they want to for a couple of songs. Open Mic night is in addition to the Tuesday night concert we have planned. There is also a guided Jamming session open to all festival goers and entertainers on Thursday midday.

Indian Cuisine on Wheels

Delicious Indian Snack Menu

• Hot Chips engulfed in BUTTER Chicken

• Butter chicken Wraps

• Veg.Samosa

• Chicken Popcorn

• Mango Lassi

• Soft drinks and Water