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Lōemis Festival 2026: 4 Unmissable Shows

Wellington’s Lōemis is a mid-winter city music festival that deserves to be on your radar. Here are 4 highlights from this month’s programme.

By ROLLING STONE
Troy Kingi

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Over the last 15 years, there has been a rise in interest in mid-winter city music festivals across Australia and Aotearoa. 

Lōemis, an 11-year-old festival held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, is one that deserves to be on your radar.

Between June 9th-21st, they’re hosting close to 30 events, an expansive and invigorating mix of music, film, food, dance workshops, art shows, and surreal public processions.

On the music front, Lōemis offers a dazzling array of international post-punk, psychedelic rock, synth-pop, ambient, and dance acts, bands and DJs, and the festival is also presenting some sublime local exclusives. 

Outside of its core concert programming, Lōemis 2026 also includes a special screening of the cult Swedish-American folk horror film Midsommar, a bustling night market, and Melbourne’s Hope Street Radio popping up at Puffin Bar for a weekend. Add in various other curiosities, and you’ve got a festival that reveals itself as a smorgasbord of multi-sensory delights. 

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As the festival kicks off, check out 4 unmissable shows below. 

Read our interview with the festival’s founder and artistic director, Andrew Laking, here.

Ticket information for Lōemis 2026 can be found here. 

Kelly Moran

Brandon Bowen

Kelly Moran

Tuesday, June 16th
Old St Paul’s

Kelly Moran is an experimental pianist/keyboardist, composer, and producer who uses the keys to open up portals into other states of being.

Fittingly, the New York musician is a contemporary of FKA Twigs, Yves Tumor, The Avalanches, Kelsey Lu, and Oneohtrix Point Never.

For her New Zealand debut, she’ll be bringing her sensibilities to Lōemis for a special performance at Old St Paul’s church.

Tickets here. 

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Troy Kingi

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Troy Kingi Presents Night Lords

Thursday, June 18th
Meow Nui

Troy Kingi is many things to many people, while always being himself. You might love his psychedelic soul and garage-rock music, or enjoy seeing him in Vogel’s Bread adverts.

In a major Lōemis exclusive, he’s bringing his new Night Lords album to Wellington for one night only. Expect live hip-hop band style, featuring a genuinely star-studded cast of guest rappers from around New Zealand.

Tickets here.



Shayne P. Carter

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REforms: Shayne P. Carter and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Friday, June 19th
Michael Fowler Centre

Dunedin’s Shayne P. Carter made a name for himself in the alt-rock band Straitjacket Fits, before showing us he had heavy soul with his Dimmer project.

After reinventing himself as a pianist, writing a book, and a film about his life and times, Carter is ready for new challenges. At Lōemis, he’s teaming up with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to reimagine his songbook. 

Tickets here.



Rolling Stone