2X GRAMMY AWARD WINNER LAUREN DAIGLE BRINGS THE KALEIDOSCOPE NIGHTS TOUR DOWN UNDER

This November, 2x GRAMMY Award Winner and multi-platinum selling artist LAUREN DAIGLE will expand her critically acclaimed headline tour, The Kaleidoscope Nights Tour, to New Zealand.  The two new dates will mark Daigle’s first shows down under in nearly five years. Kicking off in Auckland, New Zealand on 4 November, The Kaleidoscope Nights Tour will also stop in Christchurch, New Zealand on Wednesday 6 November.
 
Tickets will officially go on sale 10 April at 12pm from livenation.co.nz.
 
Mastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in New Zealand starting from Friday 5 April, 11am until Tuesday 9 April, 11am. Preferred ticket access is available to Mastercard cardholders in New Zealand on Wednesday 10 April, 12pm. Visit www.priceless.com/music to find out more.
 
My Live Nation members may also secure tickets first during the pre-sale beginning Tuesday 9 April 12pm.
 
For complete tour, ticket and VIP Experience information, visit: livenation.co.nz.
 
The Kaleidoscope Nights Tour first began in September 2023, following the release of Daigle’s GRAMMY Nominated self-titled album. Due to popular demand and sold-out performances across the country, the tour has been extended through 2024 including dates in Europe and a summer amphitheater run dubbed The Kaleidoscope Nights Tour.  The show features many of Daigle’s #1s including her groundbreaking 6x Platinum smash “You Say,” 2x Platinum hit “Rescue,” “Look Up Child,” and her latest Gold certified No.1 and GRAMMY Nominated “Thank God I Do.”
 
Lauren Daigle is a two-time Grammy®, seven-time Billboard Music, four-time American Music, and twelve-time GMA Dove Music Award winner.  Since the release of her GRAMMY® Award-winning, 2x platinum-certified 2018 album Look Up Child, which included the 6x platinum-certified hit “You Say,” Daigle has been a mainstay on the Billboard charts. When Look Up Child debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart, Daigle became the first female artist in history to simultaneously hit the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian Album charts. Her recent GRAMMY Nominated and Mike Elizondo-produced, 23-song, self-titled album’s debut single, “Thank God I Do,” gave Daigle her 6th Billboard No. 1 and was recently certified Gold. She’s garnered over a billion streams and wowed crowds for years with sold-out US and international tours. Daigle continues to cement her status as a modern vocal powerhouse with a huge global fanbase.

LAUREN DAIGLE 
THE KALEIDOSCOPE NIGHTS TOUR

 
CHRISTCHURCH TOWN HALL, CHRISTCHURCH           MONDAY NOVEMBER 4
KIRI TE KANAWA THEATRE, AUCKLAND                 WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6
 
TICKETS ON SALE 12PM WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL

Mastercard presale: Friday April 5, 11am local – Tuesday April 9, 11am local
Live Nation presale: Tuesday April 9, 12pm local
 
For complete tour, ticket and VIP Experience information, visit: laurendaigle.com & www.livenation.co.nz
CONNECT WITH LAUREN DAIGLE
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NZ MUSIC T-SHIRT DAY RETURNS ON FRIDAY 3 MAY

MusicHelps annual fundraising initiative NZ Music T-Shirt Day is taking place on Friday 3rd May 2024 as part of NZ Music Month. NZ Music T-Shirt Day is all about celebrating great New Zealand music, raising awareness for the important work of MusicHelps and showing your support by sporting your favourite artists or band tee.  

NZ Music T-Shirt Day raises funds for MusicHelps, a charity that helps the most vulnerable in our communities by supporting projects that use the power of music to help and heal. This includes music therapy sessions, music programs in respite and palliative care, music education programs for the at-risk and vulnerable and rehabilitation programs to name a few. They also provide free professional counselling and emergency financial wellbeing support to kiwi music workers. Since inception, they have positively impacted the lives of over 90,000 people across Aotearoa.  

New Zealand Music T Shirt Day is primed to become a favourite fundraising event during NZ Music Month. This year’s event will raise much needed funds for grants to those who use music to help and heal as well as support the music community with whatever challenge they may face into the future.

Gather your friends, whānau and workplace, create a team, spread the message, and donate by visiting www.nzmusictshirtday.org.nz or texting MUSIC to 2448 to donate $3. 
 

The NZ Music T Shirt Day action is easy: 

MusicHelps supports initiatives and provides grants to a variety of communities across Aotearoa, from Whanganui to Tamaki Makaurau, Hamilton to Dunedin, Wellington to Whangārei. Some highlights of communities that Musichelps has supported this year include: 

- Swan Nest in Wellington, a charity providing therapy, support and advocacy for children who are living with complex health conditions or terminal illness and their families. MusicHelps supports their Music Therapy programme, which provides children with tools to make sense of the world they are living in, in a fun and meaningful way.

- The Music4us Puoro Mō Taatou Music Education Trust in Dunedin which gives ‘at-risk’ youth access to music education and tuition; including them in a community that celebrates the cultures and communities of those involved.

- Whanganui’s Other Orchestra - who have been running since 2015 - run weekly sessions led by a facilitator and invited music guests. They provide a safe musical environment to people from all walks of life, especially those disadvantaged by health, disability, social or financial circumstances.

- The KiwiOra Community Trust in Auckland, who provide a ‘Notes of Hope’ outreach programme collaborating with experienced musicians, providing music lessons to rangatahi from families with limited financial means. They encourage musical performance and serve as a platform for giving disaffected youth dignity and purpose.

MusicHelps is also pleased to have recently announced our firstMusicHelps Music Therapy AwardtoKate Owen.The award is for wāhine identifying students who have been accepted into the Master of Music Therapy Programme at Victoria University. Presented in collaboration withRaukatauri Music Therapy TrustandThe Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust, the recipient of the award received an $8,000 scholarship for one year of study, and if they are in their second year of study, the award will include a supported student placement with the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. 

From singers to sound engineers, managers to musicians, MusicHelps service is available to anyone involved in the Aotearoa music industry to ensure people are taken care of when they need it most. Initiatives such as the annual New Zealand Music T-Shirt Day are vital to ensure Musichelps can not only celebrate the array of talented musicians we have throughout Aotearoa, but to continuously deliver their grants and services to anyone and everyone -  the very people that bring us the music we love, and all those around it.

For a full list of kiwi bands and artists who are currently selling merchandise online, please head to:https://www.nzmusictshirtday.org.nz/t-shirts-and-merchandise 

If you are lacking a NZ band tee (or struggling to make a decision!) please visit: www.nzmusicmonth.co.nz/buy-nz-music-month-merchandise/

THE FANTASTICAL LABYRINTH OF COLOUR AND LIGHT, ARBORIALIS LUMINARIUM, RETURNS TO AOTEAROA THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

From Saturday 13 to Sunday 28 April, Auckland Live in association with Insite Arts brings the highly popular ARBORIALIS Luminarium, a colourful inflatable labyrinth created by Alan Parkinson of Architects of Air, to Aotearoa. The astonishing multisensory experience for all ages will take place at Auckland’s Aotea Square. ARBORIALIS Luminarium echoes aspects of being lost in a forest – with many radiant canopies of leaves that stretch overhead accompanied by an immersive, ambient score by Irish composer Dr Michael Morris.
 
From the Guggenheim in Spain to the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the monumental interactive walk-in sculptures from Architects of Air have astounded audiences across the globe.

A luminarium is a dazzling inflatable maze of winding paths and soaring domes where visitors can be immersed in an amazing world of light and hues for a unique sensory experience. Many people find a luminarium a place for rest or meditation.
 
The luminarium that will be displayed at Aotea Square – ARBORIALIS - is half the size of a football pitch and dedicated to the theme of trees. There are radiant canopies of leaves that stretch overhead and vibrant tree trunks rising from the ground beneath. The main dome sees a leaf motif in a magnificent arch that references the form of the Islamic Mosque domes as a primary source of inspiration from designer Alan Parkinson. The visual world of ARBORIALIS Luminarium is enhanced by the natural and spiritual sounds of the Song of Danu (a Celtic goddess).
 
Past visitor's perceptions of the luminarium experience have provoked comments such as
“It felt like living in a painting” or “being inside a spaceship”. The luminarium is wheelchair accessible, and children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult, with a minimum of 1 adult for up to 4 children. ARBORIALIS Luminarium will provide an excellent family day out in the city - the wonderful maze-like structure of light and colour will enthral the kids these school holidays!
 
It has been nine years since Architects of Air were last in Auckland, with their previous work Arboria proving popular at Aotea Square in the September 2015 school holidays. In January 2024, Arborialis was displayed at the Christchurch Buskers Festival, giving Ōtautahi a taste of what Aucklanders can now expect during these school holidays.
 

ARBORIALIS LUMINARIUM
Saturday 13 – Sunday 28 April
Opening times: Monday –Wednesday: 11am – 5pm | Thursday – Sunday: 9am – 5pm (last admission)
Aotea Square

HOZIER ANNOUNCES ‘UNREAL UNEARTH’ 2024 NEW ZEALAND TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOY OLADOKUN

Live Nation is excited to announce the highly anticipated return of global superstar Hozier to Aotearoa shores this coming November, performing shows here for the first time since 2019.

The Grammy-nominated, award-winning multi-platinum singer and songwriter and his band play two arena dates across the country on Wednesday November 20 at Spark Arena in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and Wolfbrook Arena in Ōtautahi Christchurch on Friday November 22.

Presented in partnership with More FM, tickets for all shows go on sale at 12pm local, Monday March 18.

Mastercard cardholders in New Zealand have special access to presale and preferred tickets from 11am local Wednesday 13 March. Visit www.priceless.com/music to find out more.

 
One NZ customers can be among the first to secure tickets during a 48 hour presale for all New Zealand shows, starting 11am local Wednesday 13 March. Head to one.nz/rewards

My Live Nation members can secure tickets during the exclusive presale at 12pm local, Friday March 15 – 11am local, Monday March 18.

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: livenation.co.nz

With over 22 billion global streams, numerous platinum album certifications, multiple award nominations and wins, Hozier is recognised as one of the foremost singer-songwriters of our generation.

Driven by the thought-provoking seven time platinum anthem ‘Take Me To Church’, Hozier’s self-titled full-length debut bowed at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and went on to achieve five time platinum status in New Zealand. Featuring the hit singles ‘Take Me To Church’, and ‘Someone New’, it enjoyed nine weeks at #1 in his native Ireland and rose to #3 on the New Zealand album charts, also achieving multi-platinum sales.

The follow up to Hozier’s debut album, ‘Wasteland, Baby!’ was released to massive critical acclaim in March 2019, entering the US Billboard Top 200 Chart at #1. The multi-platinum selling album’s 14 tracks (all original Hozier compositions) marked a major development in songwriting and subject matter and included the singles ‘Nina Cried Power’, ‘Movement’, ‘Almost (Sweet music)’, ‘Would That I’ and ‘Dinner and Diatribes’.

August 2023 saw Hozier release his third studio album ‘Unreal Unearth’ which delivered the singles ‘Eat Your Young’, ‘Francesca’, ‘De Selby (Part 2)’ and ‘All Things End’ and has been described as ‘an album brimming with brilliance’, and ‘one of the most enchanting albums of 2023’.  An extensive world tour kicked off after the release which included sold out shows across the US, Europe and the UK, and a string of International Festival dates and more headline shows in 2024. 

November 2024 Hozier will bring his highly successful ‘Unreal Unearth’ tour to New Zealand and will be joined by special guest American singer songwriter Joy Oladokun.

HOZIER - UNREAL UNEARTH TOUR

  WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOY OLADOKUN

SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND                            WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 20

WOLFBROOK ARENA, CHRISTCHURCH         FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22

FOLLOW HOZIER:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | YouTube

Cigarettes After Sex Announce World Arena Tour + New LP, Share "Tejano Blue" Single

New Zealand date confirmed at Spark Arena in Auckland on Wednesday 19 March 2025 

Today, Cigarettes After Sex announce their new LP, titled X's (due 12 July), alongside their upcoming world tour, which features shows at some of the globe's most iconic venues, like Madison Square Garden and London's O2, with more Asia, South America and Middle East shows to be announced at a later date. 
 
Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years.
 
“The record feels brutal,” admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.” 
 
While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the ‘50s and ‘60s, finding himself now drawn to a ‘70s/’80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor. 
 
Today also marks the release of the record's first single, “Tejano Blue”, a nod to the music of bandleader Greg Gonzalez’s Texas childhood, resulting in the most instantly memorable version (and liveliest tempo) yet of the band’s signature sensual, timeless, love songs. 
 
Gonzalez explains: “I grew up in El Paso & Tejano music is huge there. You could go to a lot of the bars in the city & hear artists like Selena, Los Ángeles Azules & La Mafia playing over the speakers. It was in the atmosphere around me back then, but I always rejected it & gravitated towards anything else I was attracted to really. 
 
“Years later when I was living in New York City I finally started listening to Selena’s ‘Como La Flor’ at the same time that I was also listening to a lot of Cocteau Twins. I had the idea then to try to combine both of their sounds somehow, which felt a bit strange, but also felt like it was coming from a genuine place of rediscovering & finally connecting with the music that I heard around me in my youth.” 
 
"Tejano Blue" is available today via All DSPs, and Cigarettes After Sex's new LP, X's, is out July 12th via Partisan Records.
 
My Live Nation members can be among the first to secure tickets to the New Zealand show during the exclusive presale starting 10am, Wednesday 6 March. Tickets go on sale at 10am, Friday 8 March. For complete tour and ticketing info, visit: livenation.co.nz
 
CRS and Live Nation in association with 95bFM present Cigarettes After Sex. Touring New Zealand in March 2025.
 

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX X’S WORLD TOUR DATES
NEW ZEALAND
 
SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND – WEDNESDAY 19 MARCH 2025 

F.O.L.A. [AKL] proudly presents: STILL LIVES: AUCKLAND A scrum suspended in time, unravelling the personal stories of female rugby players - a site-specific performance art installation

In Still Lives: Auckland, artists Luke George (Naarm/Melbourne) and Daniel Kok (Singapore/Berlin) work with eight female-identifying rugby players, using ropes to tie their bodies together, re-creating one half of an interlocking scrum. 

Following acclaimed runs in Shanghai, Taipei, Venice, and Melbourne, New Zealand audiences are invited to assemble for this free durational artwork in the Concert Chamber of Tāmaki Makaurau's iconic Town Hall and witness the process of creating this tableau where players are transformed into living sculptures on a grand scale. 

Still Lives is a site-specific performance art installation series, in which artists ‘capture’ with ropes a significant moment or movement in relation to its cultural context. Binding bodies in their place allows new conversations to emerge and unveil hidden narratives regarding local history, social bonds and personal attachments.

The performance will involve the entire creation of the installation, from the first piece of rope being tied onto a player to the last piece being taken off. The public is invited to arrive at any time, sit where they like, and view from different vantage points. The artists will collaborate with a lighting and sound designer, creating a visual and sonic atmosphere that references the game and stadium itself.

Connections between art and sport, tensions experienced by the players in the game they love, and the culture of teamwork and cohesion in rugby becomes an object of reflection. Urgent issues, such as sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia within sporting culture are also revealed through the knotty negotiation between bodies.

Recruitment is currently underway for the eight female-identifying rugby players with producers Nisha Madhan and Julia Croft receiving assistance in this process by Jo Caird, the first official photographer for the All Blacks.

“The evolution of women's rugby has so often mirrored the journey of women in society beginning with the games pioneers in the 1980’s who fought for the right to play through to the recent RWC2021 which filled the national stadium of Eden Park for the World Cup Final”, says Jo Caird.

Four female-identifying rugby players are confirmed, with further four yet to be announced. Confirmed names include former Black Fern and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Rochelle Martin; freelance sports journalist and podcast host Alice Soper; Auckland Storm player Kelvery Longopoa and Black Fern Vita Dryden.

“These eight women will all have been part of the struggle and their individual stories give an unique insight into the heart of Womens rugby.  How rugby was a truly safe space for them to be themselves, a chance to be seen and heard. A place where they could express themselves, be physical and confrontational and yet also be supported by their team.  Rugby requires participants to put their body on the line for each other” continues Jo Caird.

As part of this performance installation a series of video portraits, which will explore and highlight each player’s personal journey with rugby, its meaning in their lives, and the challenges they have faced wil be created.

Artists Luke George and Daniel Kok share “Ropes lend themselves well to the unravelling of human relationships. In Still Lives: Auckland, we invite you to join us in untangling the knots in a diverse community, strengthening communal bonds, and weaving together a social fabric that works for contemporary times. This is the first time we are presenting our work in Aotearoa. It is a privilege for us to be hosted and to participate in the intricate cultural conversations." 

This project aims to attract a broad range of audiences and a cross-section of the community, from people who love art to people who love sport, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those into or curious about bondage. The practice of care that the artists and rugby players engage with each other will be a blueprint for how this diverse temporary community might share and make space for each other.

On experiencing Still Lives: Melbourne in 2022, Australian journalist Jill Stark shared it was "a near spiritual experience…watching the kind of art that moves you in ways you can’t quite find the words to express. In a city where football is a religion it was fitting that art should intersect so powerfully with sport in the Still Lives installation.”

STILL LIVES: AUCKLAND
Saturday 30 March

Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall

Start time: 5:30 pm End time: 8:00 pm

Cost: Free

PEARL JAM ADDS SECOND AUCKLAND SHOW TO THEIR DARK MATTER WORLD TOUR TO MEET REMARKABLE DEMAND

Following an incredible fan response to last week’s announcement of the Dark Matter World Tour 2024, Pearl Jam has today announced an additional show in Auckland.

The group’s long-awaited ten-year return will now include second night at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium, Mt Smart on Sunday, November 10. First show on Friday 8 November is now sold out. If you received a code, your code is valid for the new show.

Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster.co.nz.

PEARL JAM DARK MATTER WORLD TOUR
NEW ZEALAND 2024
With special guest PIXIES

GO MEDIA STADIUM, AUCKLAND                FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 - SOLD OUT

GO MEDIA STADIUM, AUCKLAND        SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 – NEW SHOW

TOFIGA, NZ’S HUMBLE KING OF COMEDY ANNOUNCES A BRAND NEW LIVE SHOW PERFORMING ONE NIGHT ONLY IN TĀMAKI MAKAURAU

Tofiga Fepulea’i, has graced screens and stages across Aotearoa and beyond for more than two decades and this April will bring his brand new show ‘I Love You Full Speed No Brakes’ to Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa theatre for one night only. 

Off the back of a run of sold out shows across Australia and his sell out show at the 2021 NZ International Comedy Festival, Tofiga will be joined on stage by two more of the world’s top Samoan/NZ stand up comedians, James Nokise and Bubbah. Tickets go on sale from 9am Friday via Ticketmaster and tapliveevents.com.

"I'm absolutely stoked to bring my brand new show to Tāmaki Makaurau and can't wait to perform live again in the beautiful Kiri Te Kanawa" says Tofiga Fepulea’i.

A truly beloved figure in the Pasifika community, Tofiga has delighted generations of audiences with his standup comedic genius, acting, musicianship and broadcasting skills. Tofiga first rose to stardom as one half of the iconic The Laughing Samoans, alongside Etuati Ete. Tofiga’s inspirations are drawn from his old-school upbringing in Samoa, his experiences as a Pacific Islander in New Zealand, and his transition into fatherhood with three young teenage sons.

James Nokise was awarded NZ’s highest comedy honour, The Fred in 2021. He hilariously speaks truth to power by digging into politics, everyday life and growing up as the son of a Minster. Nokise is also an acclaimed theatre maker, playwright, columnist and renowned social commentator.

Bubbah is a Samoan-New Zealand, Māngere-proud comedian with a wicked sense of humour and no filter. Easily recognised from Taskmaster NZ, Double Parked, Duckrockers, Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee and as the iconic Tina from Tuners, Bubbah has been selling out shows in her backyard and in theatres in Tamaki.

‘I Love You Full Speed No Brakes’ is proudly presented by TAP Live Events, a new champion of NZ comedy aiming to raise the bar of live comedy experiences for both performances and audiences, led by founders Tim Batt and Paul Link.

FULL LENGTH TRAILER FOR ‘THE MOUNTAIN’ RELEASED

The full length feature trailer for Rachel House’s (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Atiawa, Kāi Tahu) directorial debut, The Mountain has been released today ahead of the film’s nationwide release on 28th March. 

Following on from a previously released teaser trailer, the clip offers a greater glimpse at the soulful and humorous story penned by House and Tom Furniss. 

Audiences have responded in their droves to the teaser trailer, with online comments such as: “This film is making me nostalgic”, “My heart is bursting”, “I'm grinning like a big kid and can't wait to see this”, and ‘“this film looks like everything I need”.

The Mountain is a heartfelt drama about three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of Taranaki Maunga (Mountain) and discover friendship in the spirit of adventure.

Director Rachel House commented: “I reckon friendship can see you through just about anything and that’s what our perfectly flawed trio of misfits discover.”
 
Sam, a fearless young girl raised outside of her Māori culture, is determined to fulfill her mission of connecting with her mountain in the hope they can heal her from the cancer she battles. Along the way she meets some misfits and new kids in town – Mallory, hoping to find friends, any kind of friends - and Bronco who claims to be a runaway from his dad who is too busy to notice him. As they make their way through the difficult “off the beaten track” route, they learn the true spirit of adventure and the magic of friendship.
 
The Mountain is the acting debuts of three children, Elizabeth Atkinson (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Tama, Kāi Tahu), Reuben Francis, and Terence Daniel (Ngāti Kahungunu, Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga, Kuki Airani – Aitutaki) in the leading roles.
 
They are joined by Troy Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) (Muru), Byron Coll (Nude Tuesday), Fern Sutherland (Brokenwood Mysteries), and Sukena Shah.

The film is made with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant (re-named Rebate), NZ On Air, Whaakata Māori, Department of Post, Native Audio, Nude Run, Hillfarrance and financed in association with Kiwibank. The film is distributed in New Zealand by Madman and Piki Films and in Australia by Madman.

The Mountain will be released across the country on Thursday 28 March.

BEN HOWARD LIVE IN AOTEAROA

British musician and gripping performer singer/songwriter Ben Howard will make his much-anticipated return to Aotearoa this June bringing his powerful live show and storied catalogue to delight kiwi audiences.

Almost 10 years since his sell out show at the Auckland Town Hall in 2014, the English singer/songwriter will play Auckland’s Town Hall on Monday 3rd June. The Secret Sounds, Live Nation and Ticketmaster presales will begin on Friday 9th Feb at 11am with general tickets on sale from Monday 12th February at 12pm. This one off Auckland date will come off the back of his multiple sell out shows across Australia with new shows just announced. Tickets are available from Livenation.co.nz.

Ben Howard released his triple platinum debut album, Every Kingdom back in 2011. As adept with an acoustic as he is with the electronics that have peppered and punctuated his recordings since that impressive debut, Howard now operates largely in a world and sound of his own making. 
 
Howard released his fifth studio album Is It? In June 2023, marking a new chapter full of highly textured, experimental pop songs that identify another shift of sonics for this acclaimed and most unpredictable of British artists. Is It? Followed 2021’s Collections From The Whiteout which debuted at #1 in the UK album chart (Ben’s second chart-topping record after 2014’s I Forget Where We Were).

Is It? was recorded over 10 days In the Le Manoir de Léon studios, nestled between Bordeaux and Biarritz in the South of France. Produced by Bullion (Westerman, Nilüfer Yanya, Orlando Weeks), the ten-song record is a lush and sonically splintered album which captures Ben working through some intense moments resulting in one of his most upbeat and uplifting records in years – and audiences will get to experience it live, along with songs from Ben’s entire celebrated catalogue.
 
Described by The Times as “spellbinding, transcendental even”, Ben Howard and his expansive band’s intense live show captivate and mesmerises audiences as they light up stages across the country. Howard’s fierce desire to operate in and out of the shadows make both his music and live shows a rare but vital proposition. Don’t miss Ben Howard live this June. 

LEGENDARY HIP HOP GROUP HOME BREW PERFORM AT LANEWAY 2024 + ANDYHEARTTHROB JOINS THE BILL

After an 11 year hiatus, the legendary Aotearoa hip-hop group Home Brew are back with their first new album in over a decade. Laneway Festival is thrilled to announce that Home Brew will be continuing their long-awaited reunion at Laneway Festival for an Auckland-exclusive show.
 
Breaking their indefinite hiatus, Tom Scott and Haz Beats have released ‘Run it Back’, their first album in over 10 years. Set to be arguably the biggest hip-hop release in Aotearoa this year, fans will be able to hear it in Tāmaki Makaurau exclusively at Laneway Festival. ‘Run it Back’ comes off the back of the 2023 re-release of their self-titled debut album which earned the pair another #1 in the NZ Top 40 Charts and confirmed their continuous cultural importance in Aotearoa. 
 
Andyheartthrob will also join the 2024 bill that now features 27 international and local artists across a vast range of genres. Not just a DJ, Andy is an ethereal force within the scene in Aotearoa. With Māori, Tahitian, Cook Island, and Scottish roots, Andy grew up and continues to reside in our multifaceted and diverse Tāmaki Makaurau. With a mission to connect everyone through music and culture, Andy wants to inspire people to step into their light, power, and Mana. As well as being a DJ in her own right, she is very involved and active in Tāmaki’s Dynasty Collective; a platform for creative women of colour.
 
With no sideshows, Laneway Festival is the only place to see the Laneway Festival lineup in New Zealand this summer. Get your tickets now from lanewayfestival.com.au/auckland
 

Full lineup:
Stormzy – Steve Lacy**
Dominic Fike
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
AJ Tracey – Cordae – d4vd** – Dope Lemon – Eyedress** – Faye Webster**
Home Brew – horsegiirL – Nia Archives – Paris Texas** – Raye** - Skin On Skin
Andyheartthrob – Atarangi – Blondshell** – Church – Daily J – DOMi & JD BECK** –
Erny Belle  – Hanbee – Hemlocke Springs ** – Molly Payton – Pretty Girl**
 
 
** First New Zealand show
 
Laneway Festival 2024:

AUCKLAND / Tamaki Makaurau (MA16)
Tuesday 6 February
Western Springs

CHELSEA HANDLER ANNOUNCES 2024 LITTLE BIG BITCH TOUR

GRAMMY-nominated comedian, television host, best-selling author and advocate Chelsea Handler today announces her 2024 Little Big Bitch New Zealand Tour.    
 
Produced by Live Nation, the Little Big Bitch tour will be Handler’s first return down under since 2019 and will see her perform one night only in Auckland and Wellington this July.
 
General on sale starts 12pm Wednesday 13 December. My Live Nation members can access tickets first during the My Live Nation presale starting 11am Tuesday 12 December until 11am Wednesday 13 December. Tickets and tour info at livenation.co.nz.
 
Chelsea Handler is a comedian, television host, six-time New York Times best-selling author and advocate whose humour and candour have established her as one of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture. After a strong seven-year run as the host of E!’s top-rated Chelsea Lately, a tenure in which she was the only female late-night talk show host on-air, she launched her documentary series Chelsea Does followed by her talk show Chelsea on Netflix in 2016. She has penned six New York Times best-selling books, five of which have reached #1, including 2019’s Life Will Be the Death of Me.
 
In 2021, she launched her iHeart Radio advice podcast, Dear Chelsea, and embarked on the Vaccinated and Horny Tour, bringing her sensational stand-up set to over 90 cities with 115 shows across North America, winning “The Comedy Act of 2021” at the People’s Choice Awards. Following the success of her 2020 HBO Max comedy special Evolution, which earned Chelsea a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album, Handler made her return to Netflix with her critically acclaimed 2022 comedy special Revolution. Handler is currently on her 2023 stand-up tour, Little Big Bitch.
 

CHELSEA HANDLER
LITTLE BIG BITCH TOUR
NEW ZEALAND

AUCKLAND, TOWN HALL    FRIDAY JULY 5
WELLINGTON, ST JAMES THEATRE    SATURDAY JULY 6
    

TICKETS ON SALE 12PM WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER
MY LIVE NATION PRESALE STARTS 11AM TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER – 11AM WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER

$UICIDEBOY$ ANNOUNCE GREY DAY NEW ZEALAND SHOW 2024

MARCH 23 - AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
TOUR SUPPORT INCLUDES
GHOSTEMANE, POUYA, GERM and SHAKEWELL

New Orleans duo $uicideboy$, kingpins of the trap-metal and emo-rap world, have announced that their Grey Day Tour will come to New Zealand in March 2024. Confirmed special guests are Ghostemane, Pouya, Germ, and Shakewell.
 
The tour will kick off in New Zealand on March 23, 2024 at Auckland’s Spark Arena. Tickets HERE.
 
Local presales commence Tuesday, December 12 at 3:00pm running until Wednesday, December 13 at 2:00pm. General public tickets go on sale Wednesday, December 13 at 3:00pm (All times are local).
 
In 2023, Ruby Da Cherry and his cousin $crim achieved remarkable success as the $uicideboy$, delivering a substantial amount of music with six $uicideboy$ projects, and Ruby’s debut DUCKBOY solo EP, "tragic love songs to study to [vol. 5]." Moreover, they completed their largest Grey Day Tour to date, playing arenas and amphitheaters across the US in 44 major cities and selling nearly 500,000 tickets. Their prolific year included the fifth installment of their fan-favorite series "I No Longer Fear The Razor Guarding My Heel," a  4-part EP series titled the Yin Yang Tapes, and joint projects with G59 Record$ labelmates Shakewell ("Shameless $uicide") and Germ (“DIRTIESTNASTIEST$UICIDE”).
 
In 2023 alone, their music collectively garnered 3 billion Spotify streams. $uicideboy$ are featured on the cover of Spotify’s Top Groups of 2023 USA (most-streamed groups in US), and their single Not Even Ghosts Are This Empty added to both Best Groups of 2023 and Top Gaming Tracks of 2023. 
 
$uicideboy$ are currently among the Top 100 highest-streaming artists of all-time across all musical genres. Their most-streamed tracks on on Spotify “....And to Those I Love, Thanks for Sticking Around” and “Kill Yourself (Part III)” have each amassed over 500 million streams. Additionally, their two top-performing albums,  I Want To Die In New Orleans and My Liver Will Handle What My Heart Can’t, have accumulated over 1.2 billion streams on Spotify alone. Their latest official full-length LP Sing Me A Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation marked their 3rd consecutive Top 10 album debut on the Billboard Top 200. The album led to sold-out arena and amphitheater tours followed by a top-billed performance spot at Coachella music festival in 2023.

JAMES TAYLOR AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND ANNOUNCE 2024 NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES

GRAMMY Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, James Taylor announces his 2024 New Zealand tour, An Evening with James Taylor and His All-Star Band.

The tour will kick off at Auckland’s Spark Arena on April 30, and will conclude at TSB Arena Wellington on May 1.

Live Nation pre-sale commences Wednesday, December 6 at 9am, concluding on Friday, December 8 at 9am.

General public tickets go on sale on Friday, December 8 at 10am.

As a recording and touring artist, JAMES TAYLOR has touched people with his warm baritone voice and distinctive style of guitar-playing for more than 50 years. His songs have had a profound influence on both songwriters and music lovers of all generations: Fire and Rain, Country Road, Sweet Baby James, Carolina In My Mind, and in 1971 he scored his first number one single with You’ve Got A Friend, written by Carole King, earning him his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal.

Over the course of his celebrated songwriting and performing career, Taylor has sold more than 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards since the release of his self-titled debut album in 1968. In 2015, Taylor released Before This World, the first-ever #1 album of his illustrious career.

Taylor has won multiple GRAMMY Awards, has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and the prestigious Songwriters Halls of Fame and in February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences selected him its MUSICARES Person of the Year. Taylor was also awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2012.

In November of 2015, Taylor was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor and in December of 2016 he received the Kennedy Center Honors, which are presented annually to individuals who have enriched American culture by distinguished achievement in the performing arts. In early 2020 Taylor released Break Shot, a deeply personal and authentic audio-only memoir detailing his first 21 years.

He also released his newest album, American Standard, his 19th studio album, which earned Taylor the 2021 GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and gave him the honor of being the first artist to have a Billboard Top 10 album in each of the past six decades.

AN EVENING WITH JAMES TAYLOR
& HIS ALL-STAR BAND
NEW ZEALAND 2024
 
SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND                                       TUESDAY, APRIL 30
TSB ARENA, WELLINGTON                                        WEDNESDAY, MAY 1
Live Nation pre-sale commences Wednesday, December 6 at 9am, concluding Friday, December 8 at 9am.
General public tickets go on sale on Friday, December 8 at 10am.
 
FOLLOW JAMES TAYLOR
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GAME, SET, MATCH! THE COUNTDOWN IS ON TO THE ASB CLASSIC

The countdown to the ASB Classic begins, with some of the world’s top tennis players set to compete in the premier tournament in one month’s time. Running from 1st – 13th January at ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, confirmed players include US Open champion Coco Gauff, British No 1 Cam Norrie, former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki, Tennis super-couple Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina, and rising stars Arthur Fils, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton.
 
“The Serve” will return with some of NZ’s best entertainment, food and beverage offerings, providing the perfect place to meet with friends and soak up the off-court atmosphere. Beverage offerings will include a gorgeous G.H. Mumm garden, an Aperol Serve Up Summer bar, an extensive range on offer at the Schweppes Social Club as well as a New Grey Goose bar serving up their Love One cocktail. Heineken will be introducing their new Heineken Silver, and Gwen by Church Road will be showcasing their finest selection of wines. Extensive food options available across the various hospitality spaces will include Summer ceviche, Wagu sliders, truffle fries and a culinary work of tennis ball art, the Mānuka Doctor Honey Ball.

Tournament Director Nicolas Lamperin comments: “Once again the ASB Classic will be the place to be in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland next January. Our fans will be cheering on their favourite tennis stars as exciting names will be gracing the courts of the ASB Tennis Arena. Beyond the sidelines, the tournament will also foster a vibrant social scene with attendees enjoying gourmet food, mingling in hospitality areas and soaking the festive atmosphere with music and entertainment.”

US Open winner and World No 3 Coco Gauff will return to Aotearoa to defend her ASB Classic title, having commented that Auckland and the event are among her favourite times on the circuit. The 19 year old American is confirmed for play on Tuesday 2nd January.
 
British No 1 Cam Norrie, who grew up in Auckland, has his sights set on winning the tournament after being runner-up on two occasions in the men’s singles (2023 and 2019). Norrie, 27, fell in love with the game from an early age at the Bucklands Beach Tennis Club and spent much of his youth at Stanley St watching and learning from the visiting stars.
 
One of the world’s most exciting rising stars, French-Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime will make his debut at the ASB Classic in 2024. The 23-year-old reached a high of sixth in the world in 2022, in a stellar year that included victories over Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, each on two occasions, and Rafael Nadal.
 
Danish superstar and former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki will return to Stanley Street in her remarkable tennis comeback following the birth of her two children.
 
19-year-old Frenchman and ‘one to watch’ Arthur Fils is currently the highest ranked teenager in the world. Since turning professional two years ago, Fils has jumped over 600 spots in the world rankings, and more than 200 places this year.
 
Bright young American star Ben Shelton was given a wildcard entry to the ASB Classic this year in one of his first ATP tournaments outside the USA. Since then, the powerful left-hander has climbed inside the world’s top 20 players, having risen from No 96 in January.
 
The ASB Classic will be the first time that tennis super-couple Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina have played in the same tournament, outside of Majors or 1000-level tournaments. Monfils (37) is one of the most entertaining and enduring tennis players on the globe, rising to a career high sixth in the world on the back of 12 ATP titles. Svitolina, who has climbed over 1000 spots to 25 in the world since returning to tennis following the birth of their daughter Skai, has won 17 WTA titles along with the Tour Finals title in 2018 and the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.
 
The Serve will also feature large screens so you can keep an eye on the on-court action. Beats on the Serve will also return in 2024 featuring a soon to be announced line up of NZ’s best     DJs. Closely curated to bring the party from day to night, the action and entertainment will be sure to amp up the energy ahead of the exhilarating action on-court.

The ASB Classic returns to the ASB Tennis Arena in Stanley St, with the Women’s  Week (WTA)  from January 1 to 7, followed by the Men’s Week (ATP)   from January 8-13, 2024. Tickets are on sale now from asbclassic.flicket.co.nz