Celebrating 40 Years of the extraordinary: 2026 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts programme announced
2026 marks the first Festival led by Co-Directors Tama Waipara MNZM and Dolina Wehipeihana.
“We are powered by a rich legacy of curation,” says Wehipeihana. “We acknowledge the iconic artists from Aotearoa and beyond who have shaped our Festival since 1986. For our 40th anniversary, we honour signature works from our lineage alongside bold new commissions from visionary Aotearoa artists, and welcome international artists whose work brings deeper understanding and awe-inspiring sounds, sights, tricks, and delights.”
Wellington NZ GM Events and Experiences, Heidi Morton acknowledges the importance of the Festival, saying “As we celebrate this milestone, we reflect on the Festivals vital place on New Zealand’s event calendar. It is a national highlight that brings together artists, audiences and communities from all over the world to Wellington, the nation's creative heart.”
The Festival opens in spectacular style on Tuesday 24 February with Briefs Factory’s The Works (AUS) at the newly renovated Tāwhiri Warehouse, Newtown. From underground clubs to the world’s biggest festivals, Briefs Factory have redefined cabaret with a unique blend of spectacle and subversion. In The Works they throw open their glittering archives to deliver a dazzling and daring show, think circus with attitude, burlesque with bite, set to a pumping soundtrack.
Tāwhiri Warehouse is a major Festival hub this year. Festival Co-Director Tama Waipara MNZM reveals “2026 also marks the grand opening of our new venue, Tāwhiri Warehouse, Wellington’s newest space for creativity and connection. It will play host to thought-provoking theatre, electrifying dance, brilliant minds, glittering cabaret and more.”
From one spectacular to another, following sell-out performances at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, multi-award-winning contemporary circus company Gravity & Other Myths (AUS) make their Wellington debut with the whānau-friendly extravaganza Ten Thousand Hours at the Opera House - an adrenaline-fueled celebration of sweat, strength and skill that promises to “shock, awe, and delight” (Glam Adelaide).
Exclusive to Wellington, dancers will also soar, twist and turn in GLORIA – A Triple Bill, a signature event and a landmark trans-Tasman collaboration honouring one of New Zealand’s most revered choreographers, the late Douglas Wright. Presented by The New Zealand Dance Company and Co3 Contemporary Dance Australia at St James Theatre, Gloria restages Wright’s iconic masterpiece, first seen at the Festival in 1992, alongside two bold new works by Raewyn Hill and Moss Patterson. Set to Vivaldi’s most famous sacred score, performed live by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Voices New Zealand, Gloria is a breathtaking celebration of life.
Also at St James Theatre and marking its world premiere, the Royal New Zealand Ballet bring one of the most visceral of tragedies to the stage in a bold and bloody re-telling of Macbeth by acclaimed choreographer Alice Topp (Aurum, Logos, High Tide). Shakespeare’s iconic characters are propelled into a shadowy world of manipulation. As the Macbeths emerge as a dazzling new power couple, the view from the top is dizzying – and the fall is steep.
Making its Aotearoa debut, audiences can experience the bold new dance theatre work by Nancy Wijohn and Kelly Nash fresh from its acclaimed premiere at YIRRAMBOI (Melbourne). Presented at the Tāwhiri Warehouse, Mythosoma explores how shock and trauma live on in muscle, voice, and silence as shifting forces rippling through time.
Speaking to the theatre programme, Festival Co-Director Tama Waipara MNZM says, “this year’s progamme delivers a dynamic mix of groundbreaking works, immersive experiences, comedy, daring solo performances, and never-before-seen works.
“Originally commissioned by the Festival in 1996, we are honoured to bring Waiora Te Ūkaipō - The Homeland to the Opera House stage. This landmark work by celebrated writer and director Hone Kouka (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu) explores the impact of colonisation, urban drift, and the tension between past and future. A powerful reflection on family, culture, and belonging – a must-see.”
From Fuel Theatre - the company behind the 2018 Festival hit Barbershop Chronicles - comes Nowhere, presented by the Festival at Tāwhiri Warehouse. In this intricate and playful solo show, acclaimed actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Crown) takes you on a surprising journey through his own life against a backdrop of seismic world events. Inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian revolution of 2011 and his experience of the counter-revolution that followed, Nowhere brings together the personal and the political in an act of anti-biography.
Part of its World premiere tour, Music Portrait of a Humble Disabled Samoan by Fonotī Pati Umaga, Oscar Kightley and Maiava Nathaniel Lees tells the remarkable life story of Samoan musician and disability advocate Fonotī Pati Umaga (former band member of The Holiday Makers). In 2005, a fall left Umaga tetraplegic, leading to years of challenge and self-made darkness before finding renewed purpose and healing in unexpected places. Presented at Tāwhiri Warehouse, Music Portrait of a Humble Disabled Samoan blends live music, storytelling, and striking visuals to honour a man who continues to rise.
Following rave reviews in Auckland, Wellington audiences will experience Jo Randerson ONZM’s “funny as hell” theatre show Speed is Emotional by for the first time at Circa Theatre. In this personal work, Randerson bares their soul, sharing the exhaustion, joy, and absurdity of living and parenting with neurodivergence.
Circa Theatre will also be transformed into a safehouse for Werewolf by experimental New Zealand theatre makers Binge Culture. Inspired by the classic game of deception, Werewolf is a gripping blend of thriller and comedy that pulls you into an immersive world of suspicion, survival, and uneasy laughter. This international cult hit asks: When night falls—who do you trust?
For the first time since 2017, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (AUS) return to Wellington with their most celebrated live production to date - The Wild God Tour. Launching the Festival’s music programme early, the band will perform two exclusive shows on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 February at TSB Arena. Their setlist features tracks from their latest album Wild God, alongside songs spanning the four decades of their storied career.
The Michael Fowler Centre will play host to three one-night-only performances as part of the music programme.
After a sell-out Matariki performance with the Auckland Philharmonia, platinum-selling, Silver Scroll-winning Māori artist Rob Ruha will take the stage with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and transform the Michael Fowler Centre into TEIWA - a supernatural performance house of tribal futurism that will transport the senses, featuring the unmistakable haka power of special guests TOA (Te Taumata O Apanui).
Voices New Zealand presents Ara Hura - A Visionary Journey, a powerful celebration of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most influential choral conductor, Karen Grylls. The very ensemble she founded and debuted at the Festival in 1998, Voices New Zealand, leads the celebration, joined by Horomona Horo, a chamber ensemble from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and more.
Part of a landmark global tour and marking their Aotearoa debut, the Hellenic Music Ensemble brings Greece’s unforgettable soundscape to life in The Music of Greece. Led by acclaimed composer and conductor Panos Liaropoulos, this 21-piece orchestra honours the genius of Mikis Theodorakis (“Zorba's Dance”) and Manos Hadjidakis (“Never on a Sunday”), joined by legendary voices Manolis Mitsias, Giannis Haroulis, and Natassa Bofiliou.
Following the praised world premiere of Ahlan wa Sahlan at the 2024 Festival (part of Beyond Words), award-winning Greek/New Zealand composer John Psathas ONZM returns with Voices at the End - a powerful statement about the state, and the future, of civilisation. Featuring two bold works, pianist Dawn Hardwick (UK) performs within a rich sound and video world, creating an exhilarating multi-sensory experience at The Great Hall, Massey University.
After standout performances in 2024 and 2018, the King’s Singer’s return with Close Harmony at Wellington Cathedral. Spanning Renaissance sacred works and English folksongs to jazz standards and pop hits, this programme features pieces by Byrd, Billy Joel, Disney classics and two songs selected just for Wellington.
The Cathedral will also be transformed into a living, breathing soundscape in SoundCathedral - an evocative concert by composer-curator Michael Norris. Featuring The Tudor Consort, contemporary ensemble Stroma, and the Rangatuone Ensemble led by Dr. Riki Pirihi, audiences are invited to explore the space as musicians perform throughout the venue.
The Tāwhiri Warehouse will pulse with fresh sounds as multi-award-winning solo artist and Fur Patrol frontwoman Julia Deans returns to the stage with Goliath. This powerful new album traces Deans’ personal journey from cancer diagnosis to recovery, reflecting on love, mortality, and resilience. Part of the Festival’s SongWriter Speaks series (presented in partnership with APRA AMCOS NZ), Deans will also share insights into her songwriting journey.
Renowned for her genre-blending sound, rapper and singer-songwriter MĀ will also perform brand new music alongside standout tracks from her acclaimed album Blame it on the Weather and award-nominated waiata. Fusing neo-soul, jazz, and hip hop, experience a rising artist whose songs speak with honesty, humour, and a deep connection to te taiao.
Fusing ancient and modern, The New Zealand String Quartet – Te Rōpū Tūrū o Aotearoa will take you on a journey through Nordic, Celtic and klezmer traditions in Last Leaf. At its heart is the acclaimed album Last Leaf by the Danish String Quartet and adding a local voice, leading composer and accordionist Ross Harris brings vibrant new klezmer works into the mix.
Combining literature and music, Chamber Music New Zealand bring a story of Māori futurism to life in Ā Mua. Weaving the powerful kupu of acclaimed author Tina Makereti and Riki Gooch’s visionary Rangatuone approach to taonga puoro composition, this spellbinding new work features live music and narration.
The Festival proudly partners with Verb Wellington for a vibrant weekend Writers programme (7-8 March) at Tāwhiri Warehouse.
Natasha Brown (UK) appears in Aotearoa for the first time to discuss her satirical novel Universality. Sunday Times bestselling writer, journalist and broadcaster Simon Winchester OBE (UK/USA) speaks about his latest book The Breath of the Gods, a thought-provoking history, and future, of the wind.
A powerhouse line-up of Aotearoa writers also take to the stage across the weekend. In Letter to my Art Mother, six writers deliver powerful addresses to figures who shaped or challenged their creative journeys. And you can bask in the warmth of A Pōneke Poetry Showcase with newly minted Poet Laureate, Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu) and friends.
Dr Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tuhoe, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati) and Nadine Hura (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, Pākehā) explore environmental and spiritual disconnection, while Dr Rachel Buchanan (Taranaki iwi Te Ātiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) reflects on the shifting roles of visitors and guests in three interconnected places.
In Dark Academics, Elizabeth Knox and Lili Wilkinson discuss demonic magic and teen protagonists. And in a special closing event Bill Manhire will speak to Damien Wilkins about his latest collection, Lyrical Ballads as well as mark his significant contribution to New Zealand literature.
Thanks to the support of the Kāpiti Coast District Council, three events land on the coast, bringing sun-soaked grooves, deep dialogue, and soulful sounds
NZTrio He Taonga Wairere brings Groove Café to Te Raukura Ki Kāpiti, Raumati. From John Psathas’ sun-soaked Island Songs to Eliodoro Sollima’s Tre movimenti and more, this concert serves up a heady cocktail of rhythm and energy.
At Ōtaki’s Māoriland Hub, internationally acclaimed actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Crown) joins Tainui Stephens for a powerful conversation in NATIVE MINDS exploring the power of art and theatre in film, colonisation, story sovereignty and representation and more.
Also at Māoriland Hub, Soulful singer-songwriter MAJIC and Torres Strait “guitar virtuoso” Chris Tamwoy (AUS) unite for their Aotearoa debut. This concert promises an unforgettable fusion of Indigenous sounds. They will also join MĀ for a free SongWriter Speaks session at the Tāwhiri Warehouse to share the stories behind their waiata and compositions.
The visual arts programme is wide-reaching. At Te Papa Breathe | Mauri Ora: An Immersive Journey Into Nature, an experiential art exhibition by London-based collective Marshmallow Laser Feast, uses creative technology to deepen our understanding of, and connection to, the world around us.
Other city highlights include The Performance Arcade at Wellington Waterfront, where shipping containers are transformed into spaces for cutting-edge performance and live art and you can also experience The Red Phone Project by Boca del Lupo (Canada) transforming the simple act of conversation into a compelling performance.
Visual arts extend outside the city with a rich offering from Lower Hutt to Waikanae including Fred Graham: Toi Whakaata/Reflections at Pātaka Art + Museum in Porirua celebrating the life and contribution of the renowned sculptor, CJ Crichton’s immersive installation Fluid Bodies at Toi MAHARA, artist and designer Steven Junil Park’s The Vessel at The Dowse and more.
Festival Co-Director Dolina Wehipeihana says, "This Festival is a place to hui tahi, to gather, share, experience and access the very best ngā toi, our arts, culture and creativity, together. Join us.”
Tickets are on pre-sale at the Culture Club on Wednesday 5 November and go on sale to the general public from 17 November. More information about the Culture Club.
The 2026 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts runs from 24 February - 15 March.
For more information please contact:
Rebecca Reed rebecca@arribapr.co.nz 021 205 7718
Andrea Hammond andrea@axconsulting.co.nz 027 448 6699