McLaren Valley Festival Renamed Echo Festival + New Venue and Second Lineup Announced

McLaren Valley Festival has been renamed Echo Festival due its forced move from McLaren Falls Park in the Bay of Plenty. The changes also mean the festival will now take place at Vector Arena (and its surrounds) in Auckland over two nights. The second lineup for the inaugural event has also been revealed and includes our pals Beastwars along with UK producer Jamie XX, Sydney's Kirn J Callinan, Mac DeMarco (as previously announced), New Gum Sarn, Aldous Harding and many more top notch acts. A final 'major international artist' is to be announced next week, but for now here is the full second lineup announcement...

Echo Festival 2016
11 - 12 January, Vector Arena and Surrounds, Auckland

Second Line-Up Announcement:

Jamie XX, Elliphant, Mac DeMarco, Kirin J. Callinan, Neddwellyn Jones, Beastwars, Die! Die! Die!, Aldous Harding, Dictaphone Blues, Mel Parsons, Maala, Anthonie Tonnon, Tom Lark, New Gum Sarn, Voom, Margaret, and Race Banyon.

Joining Previously Announced Acts...

Alison Wonderland, Arthur Ahbez, Avalanche City, The Chills, C.W. Stoneking, The Datsuns, David Dallas & The Daylight Robbery, Disclosure, The Eastern, Fazerdaze, The Flaming Lips, Jordan Léser, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders, The Phoenix Foundation, P-Money, The Preatures, Racing, Tiny Ruins, Young Fathers.

See below for ticket details as well as important info regarding refunds for people that require them.

Here's Jamie XX with 'Loud Places' featuring Romy...

Loveable rouge Mac DeMarco with the video for this early single 'My Kind Of Woman'...

And Wellington's Beastwars performing 'Mihi' at Sundae Sessions a few years back...

PRESS RELEASE:

Echo Festival To Feature More Than 40 acts at Vector Arena in January.

Second line-up Announcement: Jamie XX * Mac DeMarco * Elliphant * Kirin J. Callinan * Beastwars * Die! Die! Die! * Aldous Harding plus more.

An inner city exploration of music across two days in January at Vector Arena and surrounds UK DJ and producer Jamie xx, Canada’s indie-slacker maestro Mac DeMarco, and Sweden’s EDM/hip-hop renegade Elliphant join headliners Disclosure and The Flaming Lips for the inaugural Echo Festival in Auckland in January 2016.

Echo Festival takes place at a revamped, festival format Vector Arena and its surrounds on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 January and replaces McLaren Valley Music and Arts Festival which was scheduled to take place at McLaren Falls Park, Bay of Plenty.

Also joining the line-up, from Australia are experimental art-rocker Kirin J. Callinan, jangling indie-pop five-piece Borneo, and pianist Neddwellyn Jones, as well as a cross-section of New Zealand acts across multiple genres, including sludge-metallers Beastwars, indie punks Die! Die! Die! Lyttelton songstress Aldous Harding, along with Dictaphone Blues, Mel Parsons, Maala, Anthonie Tonnon, Tom Lark, New Gum Sarn, Voom, Margaret, and Race Banyon.

The new acts announced join an already staggering line-up of talent with headliners Disclosure, The Flaming Lips, plus Sydney’s hottest EDM DJ Alison Wonderland, Philadelphia’s rock troubadour Kurt Vile & The Violators, Scottish psychedelic hip-hop electro boy band Young Fathers, and Australian artists C.W. Stoneking, The Preatures and Jordan Léser.

The New Zealand line-up already announced includes David Dallas & the Daylight Robbery, The Datsuns, Avalanche City, Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders, Tiny Ruins, Racing, The Eastern, Fazerdaze, Arthur Ahbez, and iconic Dunedin pop band The Chills.

Festival director Paxton Talbot says: ‘Echo Festival for now must leave the green fields for an urban sabbatical, and follow many great festivals into the inner city. Echo will be a musical and cultural exploration with a line-up curated from the reaches of pop, rock, folk, electronica, psychedelia, blues, hip-hop, Americana, alternative and beyond.”

The festival will include markets and sumptuous street food, providing a festival experience from lunchtime until late each day. Echo Festival is a fun for all ages, family-friendly event.

As well as being one of the masterminds behind British indie-trio The xx, London’s Jamie xx has been a regular fixture on the UK and Europe DJ circuit for the past five years and in 2015 released his stunning debut album In Colour, nominated for the coveted Mercury Prize. He says of his music "there are tracks that you hear that instantly trigger images of incredible parties. These are the tracks that I try and play.” His Melbourne concert announced earlier this month sold out within five minutes.

Canadian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Mac DeMarco describes his songs as ‘jizz jazz’, but his recently released album Another One shows a bittersweet, romantic sensibility.

Swedish singer and rapper Elliphant’s unique sound has been likened to a cross between M.I.A and Diplo. Now based in LA, her music is influenced by Jamaican dancehall, dubstep, ‘90s rock and techno.

A final major international artist will be announced on Monday 2 November.

Echo Festival is an all ages event with two-day and single day ticket options as well as discount tickets for children (5-11) and youth (12-16). Tickets will be on sale on Friday 7 November and full details are available at www.echofestival.co.nz.

McLaren Valley Music and Arts Festival tickets can be exchanged for Echo Festival tickets or full refunds on festival and camping tickets are available from point of purchase. All refunds must be processed by Wednesday 18 November.