Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2026
Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland 5-22 o MĀEHE MARCH 2026
Together, let’s create unforgettable memories and revel in the vibrant energy that defines Tāmaki Makaurau
This Auckland Arts Festival celebrates world-leading international artists alongside our local world-class creatives, gracing some of our city’s most cherished and iconic venues – many for the first time. From unconventional birthday celebrations and incredible stories of the every day and the unimaginable to Indigenous voices and endless tent music jams, we invite you to join in the festivities.
This celebration of our rich culture, of artists and their remarkable skills, of the indomitable human spirit, and everything great about Tāmaki Makaurau, whether experienced in the heart of the city’s art scene or through our artists on tour, will aid in creating fun and lasting memories.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2026 line-up
The Auckland Arts Festival 2026 delivers a standout lineup of local and international talent across theatre, music, dance and circus.
The Festival opens with the free, all-ages Sau Fiafia! Boogie Down! in Aotea Square, led by Pacific funk collective Island Vibes. The Festival Garden returns as the city’s backyard, offering live music, food, and atmosphere day and night.
Highlights include the exclusive New Zealand premiere of La Ronde in the Spiegeltent, a lavish blend of circus, music and comedy from the creators of Blanc de Blanc and Limbo. Week one features Fonotī Pati Umaga’s powerful new work Music Portrait of a Humble Disabled Samoan, and Hone Kouka’s Waiora Te Ūkaipō The Homeland, exploring family, culture and belonging.
Across the weeks, audiences can experience Moana & the Tribe’s ONO, Julia Bullock with the Auckland Philharmonia, Circa’s Duck Pond, and acclaimed works such as The Visitors, Sincere Apologies, and Ten Thousand Hours by Gravity & Other Myths.
The programme also includes Bluebeard’s Castle by New Zealand Opera and Auckland Philharmonia, Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Macbeth, The Butterfly Who Flew into the Rave, and He Kākano, featuring Becoming Jeff Bezos and Marmite & Honey.
Closing the Festival, Big Horns and He Manu Tīoriori bring high-energy funk, soul and waiata to celebrate Aotearoa’s next generation of musical talent.
