! Tickets are still available via the official website for the famous music festival on Friday Jan 16, and big acts confirmed in the final Big Day Out bands lineup for 2009 are:

Neil Young, The Living End, Sneaky Sound System, Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, Hot Chip, My Morning Jacket, Pendulum, Bullets for My Valentine, TV On The Radio, The Ting Tings, Simian Mobile Disco, Tike Taane, Serj Tankian, Dropkick Murphys, Black Kids, Lupe Fiasco, Holy Ghost, Z*Trip and Pee Wee Ferris.

Local Acts feature all of your favourites including Elemeno P, The Mint Chicks, Headless Chickens, The Datsuns, Ladi 6, Autozamm, The Black Seeds and Nesian Mystic, along with a plethora of other local talent. This Friday is going to be huge, so if you’re in Auckland, don’t miss out!

It’s New Years Eve! Happy New Year from the entire team at NZS.com. What have you got planned for tonight? New Years Eve parties at home are always a fun way to ring in the new year, and they needn’t be organised or too stressful – just grab your Christmas leftovers and get everyone to bring a bottle of wine! Throw on some internet radio

, and dance the night away.

There are several music festivals going on around the currently which started a day or so ago, but if you missed out on them don’t forget the summer months have heaps more music and dance events

to come, next up is the Big Day Out on January 16.

Most of you will still have a few days up your sleeves before you begin work for 2009, so make the most of your time off by jumping in the car and heading on a short summer beach holiday – we’re lucky enough in New Zealand that no one is more than an hour or so from the sand!

Rhythm and Vines 09 is set to be the biggest event this the New Years, with bands such as The Kooks, Franz Ferdinand, Public Enemy and Shihad venturing to sunny Gisborne for the 4-day festival. This year, the festival also offers several accommodation options, from standard tent sites to luxury, all inclusive VIP tenting – a real treat for Kiwi music lovers.

Have you though about how you’re going to get to the Rhythm and Vines festival, or other summer music festivals such as the Big Day Out (January 16, in Auckland)? Bus travel is certainly the way to go – you don’t want to even attempt finding a park at one of these massive events. But don’t worry, you won’t have to restrict yourself by taking a standard council bus all the way there, just find a bus company

who are making a dedicated trip from Auckland to Gisborne (or get picked up on the way).

Buses to Rhythm and Vines 09 depart on the morning of December 28, so get in now to avoid disappointment, and ring in the New Year in musical bliss!

Image from Flickr.

Or should I say THE BIG DAY OUT. That’s how big it’ll be.

I, along with hundreds of others, am looking forward to it. Butterflies in the stomach kinda thrilled about it, actually. Don’t tell anyone, but this is my first time. With a stellar Big Day Out lineup announced, this year’s event is sure to be a winner. Alternative songstress Bjork is my top pick, but Liam Finn (the bearded boy wonder), Phoenix Foundation (ah, the songs of Kiwi summers) and indie-stars Arcade Fire are also high on my list of must-sees.

Playing at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, on January 18th, will be:

Local bands and musicians:

The Phoenix Foundation, Shihad, Katchafire, The Clean, Liam Finn, SJD, Motocade, Cut Off Your Hands, White Birds and Lemons, Op Shop, Pluto, Scribe, Die! Die! Die!, Tiki Tanne, Havoc, Collapsing Cities, Bleeders, Supergroove, The Checks, Young Sid, Antagonist, Dam Native and other New Zealand bands.

And of course, international music acts:

Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, Brand New, Anti-Flag, Carl Cox, Kate Nash, Shy Child, Enter Shikari, Operator Please, Unkle, Krafty Kuts & MC Dynamite, The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello acoustic), Dr Octagon with Kutmaster Kurt, Aceyalone, Dizzee Rascal, Paul Kelly, Battles, Hilltop Hoods and Billy Bragg.

For a day of summer sun and music, book your ticket at the official Big Day Out site, any Ticketek outlet, Real Groovy and selected music stores nationwide.