Beach Hop 2024 kicks off this week – what you need to know

One of New Zealand’s largest automotive events will kick off later this week, with the 2024 edition of Beach Hop set to bring thousands of Kiwi car enthusiasts together for five days of cruising, rock and roll, and lapping up the last of the sun before winter rolls around.

If you plan on making the trip over to Whangamata, the hub of the event, then here’s what you need to know.

Like every year, Wednesday’s visit to Waihi will see the official warm-up to Beach Hop, ahead of a big 255km drive around the Coromandel Peninsula on Thursday.

Friday will see attendees cruise up to Onemana while a host of other activities like concerts and markets get underway back in Whangamata throughout the day.

Things stay local at the weekend, with the Grand Parade set to take place on the main street at 10:15 am on Saturday. Various car shows, bands, and prize-giving events will be drumming all over Whangamata on the day too. Sunday is a bit more relaxed with plenty of cars and music to enjoy, as well as the final prize giving.

Those in attendance who purchase an official programme will be able to win one of Beach Hop’s grand prizes, with this year’s being a 1966 Ford Mustang coupé, a Harley Davidson HDX350, or $10,000 cash.

If you’re on a budget, you can simply enjoy the event for free, even in your own pride and joy. Part of the spectacle is that most cars present are made before 1972, so it’s best to bring your classic. Otherwise, vehicle, caravan, and motorbike entries for various car shows have now sold out.

For those out cruising or heading over to the Hop, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is reminding motorists that the surrounding roads will be busy and that there is ongoing road work along SH25 and SH25A. However, it has paused resurfacing works along the main cruise route to minimise disruption and risk of damage to vehicles.

The weather is expected to be mint right throughout the week, with a tad bit of cloud set to roll in on Sunday, but nothing to worry about if you want to get your tan on.

If you’d like to know what else to expect from Beach Hop, be sure to check out our thoughts on the event when we last visited in 2020.