A volunteer-led, not-for-profit music festival – which is dedicated to raising mental health awareness and funds for related local charities – is set return to the Western Bay of Plenty this month.

The River Sounds Festival is being hosted at Woodlands Rd, Katikati, from 1pm to midnight on January 30, with tickets on-sale now.

All proceeds from the 2023 event will be donated to local charities, Te Puna Hauora and Yellow Brick Road. 'We were so thrilled to be invited to be a part of this amazing festival,” says Yellow Brick Road CEO John Moore.

'We're all about supporting families, and here's an event where people come together for some fun and whānaungatanga while also raising awareness for a vital cause.

'It just goes to show how there are so many people out there who really care and want to make a difference to the mental health sector that is currently overwhelmed and stretched.”

This year's festival line-up will feature a diverse range of New Zealand musical talent.

Headlining the show is Kiwi music's Sola Rosa Sound System. They will be joined by Albi & the Wolves, Auckland ensemble The Rvmes, rising stars Park Road, female DJ BBYFACEKILLA and Strangely Arousing.

Complimenting the main stage performances will be a selection of free wellbeing activities such as a men's discussion group, yoga, a paint and sip session, tree planting, a family support session run by Yellow Brick Road, and speeches from people with lived experience.

Additionally, peer support workers from Te Puna Hauora will be on-site and available for anyone who wants to talk.

The aim of the activities is to encourage authentic conversations about mental health between festival-goers and to promote spiritual, physical and mental wellness.

The theme of the 2023 festival is ‘reconnection' – encouraging festival-goers to share and open up to those around them while urging others to do the same. Many people are carrying internal struggles, illnesses, fears and panic that they often keep to themselves.

The festival will be curated to encourage people to share these experiences, all while listening to live music and forming lasting connections. There will be local food vendors on-site and drinks will be available to purchase at the on-site bar.

The River Sounds Festival is delivered by The Everyone Hurts Foundation and was created out of tragedy, as a one-off event, to remember the brother of two of the founders, who took his life after a decade long struggle with mental illness. However, due to the overwhelming success of the inaugural festival in 2019, it is now a biennial event.

The Everyone Hurts Foundation was established as a registered charity in 2019 to continue to support mental health in NZ through events like the River Sounds Festival.

Tickets are on sale at: events.humanitix.com/the-river-sounds-festival

Read more about the event at: www.everyonehurts.com