Thousands party in Coromandel

Barely there, skimpy outfits were the dress code at Coromandel Gold New Years Eve party at Whitianga.

Just over 12,000 people descended on Ohuka Farm, 3 kilometres away from Whitianga town, to see in the New Year with explosive and energetic performances by some of the country's favourite bands.

Some walked, others caught buses - but all wore very little clothing due to the sweltering, humid heat.

Girls in skimpy dresses and shirtless men danced the night away to the tunes of some of New Zealand's best dub-reggae bands.

Shapeshifter played in the lead up to midnight, their second year as the headline act.

"One of my greatest memories of last year was standing on stage at Coromandel Gold with 10,000 people watching, singing and cheering," singer Paora "P Digsss" Apera said.

"It's a complete line up of just homegrown talent - what an honour and a pleasure to be a part of."

Tiki Taane was also a crowd favourite, as was the soulful Ladi6, fresh from a six-month tour of Europe.

Hot Water Beaches's Sarah White and her mates found the perfect spot to watch the acts, perching themselves high up on the overlooking hill.

They brought couches and umbrellas and were keen for a night of dancing when the Waikato Times spoke to them.

White said she could enjoy the view completely, because it was the guys who had lugged the couches up the hill - not her.

"It's a good spot - good views."

Tickets to this year's gig- now in its second year - sold out in less that 36 hours in August on presale tickets alone. No tickets made it onto general sale.

Last year the 10,000 tickets took three weeks to sell out.

"This is a huge feat and record breaking for a festival in New Zealand especially with local acts," Corogold spokeswoman Rebecca Caughey said.

Two campsites, especially for concert goers, also sold out soon after all the pre-sale tickets were sold.

Most concert goers came from Auckland, but tickets were sold to fans as far away as the South Island.