Musical feast at the Mount

Next year Kiwi musicians will share the stage with legendary band The Original Wailers when the One Love festival plays Mount Maunganui on Waitangi Weekend in February.

Organisers of the feel good festival will also donate $1 from every ticket sold to the Homes of Hope Charitable Trust, which provides care to children suffering from neglect or abuse.

A scene from The One Love Festival: Winter Edition held earlier this year. Photo: One Love Festival/James Sales Photography.

The final line-up has been announced and a handful of the 16 bands on the bill includes Katchafire, The Black Seeds, 1814, Sons of Zion, Stan Walker and Three Houses Down.

The Original Wailers are one of three international acts and will be joined by Americans Rebel Souljaz and Spawnbreezie.

Festival director Pato Alvarez says because 2015 is their biggest line up yet, they have had to spread the event over two days.

'It got so big we couldn't fit all the bands on one day and the public response has been huge,” he says”

'Tickets have been on sale for two weeks now and they've already gone through the roof.”

With such a strong line-up Pato is confident the festival will put help Tauranga on the map.

He is especially excited by The Original Wailers, formed by guitarist Al Anderson and keyboardist and backup singer Tyrone Downie.

Waitangi Day recognises the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi but is also reggae legend Bob Marley's birthday.

He says: 'The Original Wailers were Bob's band and he would have been 70 this year. It is great they are playing.”

Festival headliners Katchafire will also be another band to look out for during the festival.

'They are definitely one of the biggest bands right now,” adds Pato. 'They've just finished their America tour and they're huge over there.”

Pato says next year's concert will happily fill the void left by Raggamuffin, which shifts from Rotorua to Auckland this December after seven years.

'Lots of people are upset since they used to look forward to going for a weekend away to Rotorua for Raggamuffin,” he says.

Festival goers will also be helping children who are in in need of care and protection, with $1 from each ticket they buy being donated to Tauranga's Homes of Hope.

Pato says he is impressed by the charitable trust's work and is proud the festival is in a position to give back to the community.

'Children are our future,” he says. 'We think what House of Hope are doing is awesome and they need all the help they can get.”

The venue for the One Love Festival will be announced in the coming weeks, says Pato.

Flava and PATO Entertainment presents the One Love Festival in Mount Maunganui on Waitangi Weekend, February 6-7, 2015.

Tickets start from $75 + BF and can be purchased from: www.onelovefestival.co.nz

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