With the announcement of the highly-anticipated concert last week and ticket pre-sales kicking off this morning, Soulfest Auckland 2015 is looking to be another huge success.
This year, Soulfest International is hosting three Soulfest concerts in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, over the three days during New Zealand's Labour Weekend.
Artists on the line-up so far include top international stars Mary J Blige, Jill Scott, Jhene Aiko, Charlie Wilson, De La Soul, Talib Kweli, Dwele, Eric Benet and Floetry.
A second announcement of more acts is expected soon.
2014 saw tens of thousands of soul and hip hop fans gather at the inaugural events according to the official Soulfest website. This morning, Platinum VIP exclusive pre-sale tickets for Soulfest members were sold out within the first hour of being released.
Last year at the Western Springs Stadium concert, an impromptu haka was performed backstage by Wairangi Koopu, Stan Walker and others for the artists upon the request of Angie Stone herself.
Ginnen Group's Zen Ginnen has confirmed that there are plans to hold an official pōhiri for this year's guests, including 7-8 of the crew coming to Aotearoa for the first time.
He also says that because the artists are only in Australia and Aotearoa for a very short period, there may only be a few who stay on an extra day to see the sights.
Ginnen says that the feedback from last year's Soulfest was "amazing" and is expecting a similar response from Soulfest fans this year who have a strong connection to Soul, RnB, Hip Hop and Funk music.
Soulfest International also confirms that another popular feature of the event, the pop-up "soulfood" eateries, will be available again this year.
Concert dates and venues are:
- Sydney - Saturday 22 October at The Domain
- Melbourne - Sunday 25 October at the Myer Music Bowl
- Auckland - Monday 26 October at Western Springs Stadium
For more information, check out www.soulfest.com.au