Words by Hannah Powell.

Yo Vocal had a yarn to Louis Murphy Harris, the creator behind an iconic new festival, Tora Bombora. With a record-breaking sell-out for 2021, we talked tunes, roots, and the co-creative community.

“It’s the coolest coastal festy in the country,” Louis says, setting the scene for a virgin attendee. “In the most rugged, isolated stretch of coastline in the land, it’s like the coolest BBQ with all your mates”.

Welcome to Tora Bombora festival. Two nights, three days, seventeen artists and more TBA. Held on the Tora Coast, Wairarapa, it’s got some “damn good music, some damn good artists, and a solid community” to boot. With forty-five minutes to the nearest shop, and not a cell phone bar in sight, there’s nothing else but to enjoy what you have.

With a line-up from the top of the North to the deep South, it’s all about the local scene. Featuring artists from Auckland, Raglan, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, “the whole festival is based on emerging talent – it’s not just a genre,” Louis says. “And because of that, [it] all attracts the same vibe and same community of people”. It’s not just indie, either – you’ll find dub ‘n’ roots, reggae, and a bit of house in there too.

Set against the backdrop of the Tora Coast, the festival is held on Louis’ family farm. Having been raised on the rugged coastline, it’s his favourite place in the world. “[We’re] so fortunate to have an epic coastal farm with so much land and so much dramatic landscape,” he says. So, why not share it with everyone, he thought.

In the summer that Louis left uni, “there were some bands that were really just poppin’”. He lived with Mako Road in his last year at UC – Mako Road was on the up, and with a nationwide tour that was selling well, Louis realised the true potential with emerging talent. Back home at Tora, looking out to his family’s land, it began to come together: “this is so built for this,” he thought.

Out travelling the world after his event management degree, Louis said, “I needed something cool to come back too, [to] launch myself in the event management industry”. The penny dropped. Why don’t I make my own festival? By the time he came back to New Zealand, his festival had sold out. With three months to get it together, the rest followed suit. Tora Bombora was born.

With Louis at the core of the Tora team, “I have a whole bunch of epic mates who help out during, before and after – whether it’s taking photos, being an artist manager, or doing the sound, production and lighting… it’s pretty much mate-driven,” he says.

Although Louis will admit there’s a big crew from Christchurch who attend, “it’s really a Wellington locals festy,” he says. With a big percentage of it being the same people coming each year, Louis describes it as very community-driven, with a “co-creative vibe”.

“If you’re coming, it’s generally expected to get amongst it. If you see something wrong, you fix it; if there is a cool band and no one’s dancing, you bring a whole crew of your mates up to appreciate the band and dance,” he says.

Sustainability is another key element too. “I came into the event industry wanting to be a little bit different and progressive, like most people our age,” Louis said. Plastic-free and with a ‘bring your own, take your own’ approach, attendees are encouraged to take their rubbish away with them, with each attendee given a compostable cassava root bag on arrival. Making attendees more engaged and aware of their waste, Louis encourages sustainable, conscious-consumerism and an environmentally friendly attitude at the event. “[It’s not just] putting it in a bin and forgetting about it,” he says.

As for getting there, it’s highly encouraged to pack out your cars as much as possible. Take a bit of load off of the environment. Camping? “Oh, it’s essential, mate.” Don’t forget your tent. And for those wondering how to get from A to B, just holler up. Someone will be looking out for you. As Louis says, “everyone’s going the same way”.

Lineup for Tora Bombora 2021. Poster created by Tui Wright

As for the music, Louis’ pumped to see Newtown Rocksteady, a 13-piece dub ‘n’ roots musical collective from Wellington. Stoked too for H4LF CĀST, “they’re gonna put on a banger show, I know they are,” Louis says.

With Dunedin’s Soaked Oats and Auckland band Sola Rosa as the headliner, Louis admits having those two on the bill is a bit of a dream for Tora Bombora. Raglan’s up and coming, psychedelic-reggae Cloak Bay gets a special mention too – “there’s massive potential there,” Louis smiles.

With Christchurch’s The Butlers, There’s a Tuesday, and a set from Sounds of the Local, as well as Dunedin’s Juno Is, there’s much to be excited about from the South. Wellington locals Hummucide and Heavy Chest will be there with MC Phanny and Nic & Reuben, as well as 121 Soundsystem to get you dancing deep into the night. Watch out for the next TBA – there is much more to come.

If you’re lucky to be attending next year, get hyped. With Louis curating the line-up and the attendees to link up in the middle, “it’s just a good, constant smile,” he says. Get ready to boogie, friends, and get amongst.

Learn more about Tora

Tora Bombora: a festy to look forward to