Ōtautahi festival, Twominds release documentary ahead of 2026 edition

The team behind Twominds Festival have just dropped Behind the Minds – A Twominds Documentary, a short but mighty 15-minute film that digs into what actually goes into building one of Aotearoa’s most special festivals. And spoiler – it’s about way more than who’s on the lineup.

Filmed across the two weeks leading into, and during, the 2025 edition of the festival, the documentary pulls back the curtain on the real mahi behind the scenes. The late nights. The logistics. The stress. The laughs. The moments where everything almost falls apart – and the ones where it all clicks.

At its core, Behind the Minds is about people. Crew members, organisers, artists, volunteers – all sharing why Twominds exists in the first place, and what keeps them coming back year after year.

Festival Co-Director Dan Stewart puts it simply:

“We’ve always said Twominds is about more than just the music. It’s all about the positive human connections gained through shared experiences, and what people can achieve when we do things together.”

The documentary is directed by Sean Newens, a longtime friend of the festival who has been involved in filming a documentary of Burning Man Festival in Nevada, USA. More than 200 hours of footage were shot to create the final 15-minute piece. That alone tells you how much care went into telling this story properly. 

The documentary lands as Twominds wraps up its first trilogy of festivals and looks ahead to Twominds 2026, set to run March 13–15 at Spencer Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park in Ōtautahi Christchurch. According to the team, the next edition will be the most refined and developed version of the festival yet.

See all the details below