A thousand music lovers will gather at the Sylvan Steps Amphitheatre above Richmond on Saturday (10 January) for an evening of drum and bass set against the breathtaking backdrop of Tasman Bay.
Beat Mountain 2026 brings together some of the country’s top drum and bass artists and festival director Jeremy Richards says performers love playing at the venue.
“They love it. Our headline act plays internationally all the time and to come home to New Zealand and play at this special location is a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Among this year’s lineup is Lee Mvtthews, a duo Jeremy describes as the most popular drum and bass act New Zealand has ever produced. Graham Matthews and Tom Lee have been firm favourites on the New Zealand festival circuit, toured internationally, and racked up more than 60 million streams across platforms.
Also performing is Pirapus, whose tracks are described as ‘divergent, yet addictive’, and at the ‘forefront of a new rave generation’.
“Drum and bass in Nelson-Tasman is deeply passionate,” Jeremy says. “It doesn’t operate like Auckland or Christchurch with weekly mega-clubs. Instead, it’s event driven, community focused and seasonal, with moments where it absolutely explodes – like at Beat Mountain.
“Because big DnB shows aren’t weekly, people show up in big numbers when they happen.”
Jeremy says Beat Mountain has become one of the most recognisable electronic music experiences in the Top of the South.
