The busiest New Zealand musicians this festival season

The holiday period is upon us. And with that means music and festivals. While some events have succumbed to a tough economic environment, there remains plenty of opportunities to catch both drawcard international acts but some of Aotearoa’s most accomplished and tireless performers. Here are some of the busiest local acts of the festival season.

Tauranga (with L.A.B, Stan Walker, Aaradhna, Te Wehi) 27 Dec

Rhythm and Alps 29-31 Dec

Rhythm and Vines 31 Dec

Electric Avenue 27 Feb

Homegrown 14 Mar

Scarborough Beach Weekender 28 Mar

Fresh off a trans-Tasman stint over Spring, Corrella should be battled-hardened for action over the summer, where they will undoubtedly court festivalgoers with a sound that is archetypal of the radiant Kiwi summer. One of their singles is literally called 'Summertime in Aotearoa' which should give some clue as to the tenor the North Shore collective homes in on. Last summer they had One Love patrons eating out of the palms of their hands with their earworm single 'Blue Eyed Maori' which is straight out the Pasifika playbook of roots-soaked soul music singalongs. With One Love taking a break in 2026, there is plenty of other opportunities for fans to catch them over the coming months

Tauranga (with Stan Walker, Aaradhna, Corrella, Te Wehi) 27 Dec

Rock the Bowl 29 Dec

Rhythm and Vines 30 Dec

Auckland (with Stan Walker, Aaradhna, Nesian Mystik, Te Wehi) 31 Dec

Electric Avenue 27 Feb

Homegrown 14 Mar

Scarborough Beach Weekender 28 Mar

There is no sign of slowing down for one of the heavyweights of festy season. L.A.B are very much a well-oiled machine at this point, off the back of several platinum-selling albums. And as beloved as their back catalogue is among many a New Zealander, it’s their strapping live show where their husky fusion of funk and roots rock is at it’s muscular best. They will need all the endurance they’ve built over the past decade as they knock off four shows in five days to round off 2025. They also head to the Gold Coast in the first week of the new year before some significant dates in the following months.

Northern Bass 30 Dec

Dimension 30 Jan-2 Feb

Twisted Frequency 30 Dec-3 Jan

Homegrown 14 Mar (b2b with Truth)

Sonic Waves (now moved to Easter 2026)

For the past decade-plus, Paige Julia has steadily grown into one of the leading figures of the country’s ever-present drum and bass landscape. Courtesy of some enduring, star-making live showings - that have stretched out to 11 hours in some cases - she tackles the virtuous, villainous, and everything in between when it comes to sheer sub-bass. While the plaudits domestically have followed with her debut LP Morphling nominated for an Aotearoa Music Award, she now has several releases through international imprints. A popular get for event booking agents who want the dancefloor smashed to pieces, another chocka summer schedule was locked and loaded with appearances at Northern Bass, Dimension and Twisted Frequency ahead of numerous shows here and abroad in 2026.

Le Currents 28 Dec (There’s a Tuesday)

Rhythm & Vines 30 Dec (There’s a Tuesday)

Rolling Meadows 31 Dec (There’s a Tuesday)

Nostalgia 7 Feb (Minnie Robberds solo)

Electric Avenue 28 Feb (There’s a Tuesday)

Ōtautahi quartet There’s a Tuesday will cap an industrious 12 months with a bustling live stretch of shows over the summer period. This is underlined by a gauntlet of major festival slots between 28-31 December ahead of a slot at Electric Avenue two months later. Not only did the band unveil their debut album Blush and chalk up their second Silver Scroll nod this year, but they also travelled to South Korea for a 10-day music and culture residency. The band appears to have an undeniable can’t-knock-the-hustle perseverance, and will offer a breezy alternative to the standard fare of the summer festival circuit, a sound that blurs the line between the mythical introspection of dream pop vets Beach House, to the jangly melodicism of 90s staples the Sundays. Minnie Robberds, one half of the band’s dual frontwomen pairing, will also make a solo appearance at Nostalgia in early February.

Rhythm & Vines 29 Dec (Brook Gibson solo)

Rhythm & Vines 30 Dec (Sin solo)

Rhythm & Vines 31 Feb (Sin & Brook)

Electric Avenue 28 Feb (Sin & Brook)

Homegrown 14 Mar (Sin & Brook)

DJs and radio double-act Sin and Brook will earn their keep when they return to Rhythm and Vines, taking to the controller across multiple days. Whilst the pair will each spin solo sets on day one and two respectively at Waiohika Estate, they will link up for the big one on 31 December for what is bound to be another frenetic selection of party-ready floor-fillers. Their most recent appearances saw the pair soundtrack festivities for a lucky faction of partygoers on Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, serving up everything from two-step edits of the Vengaboys, to contemporary club classics (Chrystal and Notion’s “The Days”, etc). They’re also locked in for Electric Avenue as well as Homegrown’s return to the Waikato.