In Partnership with McDonald’s
Stuck for gig ideas across New Zealand this summer? Don’t worry, Rolling Stone AU/NZ has got you covered.
As soon as the sun breaks through the Land of the Long White Cloud, Kiwis really have only one thing on their mind: going to concerts and festivals.
Seeing live music with your mates often involves a classic summer road trip, whether you’re driving into Auckland CBD for a headline show at Spark Arena or trekking to the South Island for Rhythm & Alps, and summer roadie season also means Driver Tax.
Us drivers know what that means: whatever your mates are munching on while you’re behind the wheel, you crave – nay, deserve – a cut.
Luckily Macca’s has you covered with a Driver Tax Calculator so you don’t have to calculate what you’re owed yourself. Simply download the Macca’s app to work out what your passengers owe you, and you can even help them pay it with cool food deals all summer long. When you get to pick the tunes AND get the Driver Tax, it feels good to be the driver.
Before you hit the road, check out Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s list of the best gigs taking place around New Zealand between January 12th-26th below.
Rodney Fisher and The Response
Friday, January 12th
Ponsonby Social Club, Auckland
Tickets: Under the Radar
Goodshirt icon Rodney Fisher is heading to one of Ponsonby’s favourite spots to celebrate his collaborative new album with The Response. Fisher and the Christchurch duo released Art School Dropout together in 2023, and fans will get the chance to hear the album songs in an intimate setting on January 12th.
Summer Thieves
Friday, January 12th
Smash Palace, Gisborne
Tickets: Loop
Beloved indie rock outfit Summer Thieves are bringing their album release tour to Gisborne in the middle of January. Their latest album, Cigarettes in Space, was given a positive review by Rolling Stone AU/NZ, with the band noted as sounding “festival-ready.”
Princess Chelsea
Friday, January 12th
Meow, Wellington
Saturday, January 13th
St. Peter’s Village Hall, Paekākāriki
Tickets: Banished Music
After winning the prestigious Taite Music Prize for her fifth album, Everything Is Going to Be Alright, earlier this year, Aotearoa’s art-pop queen, Princess Chelsea, is playing her prize-winning record in its entirety at shows around the country. Following a successful tour of North America, Princess Chelsea’s NZ album tour continues in the new year in Whanganui, Wellington, and Paekākāriki accompanied by her wonderful backing band.
Daffodils X Wiri Donna’s Summer Sprint
Friday, January 12th
Leigh Sawmill Cafe, Leigh
Tickets: Under the Radar
Thursday, January 18th
The Yard Cafe & Venue, Raglan
Tickets: Under the Radar
Two rising stars of New Zealand’s music scene are coming together for a special joint tour. Indie pop band Daffodils and Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award finalist Wiri Donna will perform together before both artists release new music in the new year. With Daffodils having previously played Laneway, Nest Fest, and Rhythm and Vines, and Wiri Donna having previously supported Fontaines D.C., The Beths, and more, expect a slick double set from the pair.
Soaked Oats
Saturday, January 13th
The Yard Cafe & Venue, Raglan
Sunday, January 14th
Eggsentric Cafe, Coromandel
Tickets: Under the Radar
Soaked Oats are performing a brief run of shows in January around their appearance at Nest Fest in Hawke’s Bay. Expect to hear old favourited alongside new material, as they recently revealed to Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
Nabihah Iqbal
Tuesday, January 16th
Meow, Wellington
Wednesday, January 17th
Neck of the Woods, Auckland
Tickets: Banished Music
Nabihah Iqbal is finally coming to New Zealand. The London-based musician and producer will perform two special shows in Wellington and Auckland this January. Iqbal is touring in support of her latest album, DREAMER, which was described as “unreal and otherworldly” by The Quietus.
Gengahr
Wednesday, January 17th
The Tuning Fork, Auckland
Tickets: Moshtix
The English indie rockers are coming to New Zealand to celebrate their latest album, Red Sun Titans. The band’s fourth album was given a glowing four-star review by DIY, with the music magazine hailing it as “a spirited, sun-soaked journey.” Gengahr will head to Australia for three shows following their Auckland date.
Brent Faiyaz
Wednesday, January 17th
Spark Arena, Auckland
Tickets: Live Nation
One of modern R&B’s most popular artists is returning to New Zealand for a massive Auckland show. Faiyaz brings his ‘F*ck the World It’s a Wasteland’ tour to Spark Arena on January 17th, armed with anthems from his second album, Wasteland, a number two hit in the US in 2022.
Amanda Palmer
Sunday, January 21st
Sherwood, Queenstown
Wednesday, January 24th
Q Theatre, Auckland
Tickets: Banished Music
The one and only Amanda Palmer is bringing old and new songs to an intimate New Zealand tour at the end of January. The acclaimed multi-hyphenate unexpectedly found herself spending two years in this country with her young son during the pandemic, so the accidental Kiwi is looking forward to performing to catching up with audiences in Queenstown, Auckland, and Wellington.
“I wanted to come back for this short tour – not only because I’m homesick for my Kiwi friends, but because I’d like to share the music: the handful of songs that helped me survive this period of my life,” the Dresden Dolls member says.
