In 2016 Bay Dreams was a Mount Maunganui-only festival that attracted about 5000 people. Fast forward to today and it has transformed into one of the biggest festivals in New Zealand, drawing crowds of up to 30,000 and expanding to two events - one in the North Island (Mount Maunganui) and one in the South Island (Nelson). The R18 event has also secured some of the world’s biggest artists across multiple genres - Cardi B, Ella Mai, Halsey, Tyler, The Creator, DJ Snake, Machine Gun Kelly, Skepta, Yelawolf and Shek Wes all among the long-list of creatives to have performed on Bay Dreams’ stages. These names, while major players in music today, represent only a fraction of the ever-growing number of national and international artists to have been included on the Bay Dreams’ line-up in its short existence. Bay Dreams is more than a music festival. With multiple stages featuring a mix of genres, well thought out themes, carnival-type rides and movie-quality props the festival is also a destination and an experience that merges art in all its forms. To top it off, Bay Dreams’ environmentally conscious organisers are hugely focused on sustainability, implementing initiatives that reduce plastic and waste destined for a landfill.