Laneway 2026 had its fair share of highlights, but it was Kiwi artists who truly stole the spotlight.
The touring festival kicked off in Auckland yesterday (February 5th), with a lineup boasting global names like Chappell Roan, Role Model, Geese, and more. But, in true Laneway fashion, it also gave a stage to local acts known and loved by New Zealanders.
Wellington’s own Lontalius opened the day. The project of Eddie Johnston, Lontalius is “one of the most consistently brilliant producers in New Zealand music,” we wrote in our Best Australian and New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list, where his 2015 hit “All I Wanna Say” placed at No. 286.
His set had a rather “ambient aura,” we wrote in our 4-star review of the festival. “With a lousy five minutes between the gates opening and his set starting, most people only caught snippets from outside the barrier. A gentle reminder that Kiwi artists deserve more than the sun-drenched graveyard slots.”
Then came 20-year-old 9lives, who brought early energy to the crowd. Known to Rolling Stone AU/NZ after playing Rolling Stone House at SXSW Sydney in 2024 and featuring in our Future of Music series, the innovative artist did not disappoint.
“His afro bounced to every electronic beat, a huge grin on his face. He looked like he was having a good time, and as an artist playing Laneway for the first time, that’s really all that matters,” we wrote.
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MOKOTRON, the moniker of Auckland-based Māori producer and academic Tiopira McDowell who also landed in our Best Australian and New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list, also took the stage, powerfully exploring his Indigenous identity and more in bass-heavy electronic music.
“Sub-woofing breakbeats reverberated through the main-stage speakers, submerging spectators in a subliminal, yet political, spirit,” we wrote. “This was the type of music trees danced to – music deeply rooted in Papatūānuku.”
Another Wellington favourite, dream-pop trio Womb, played, creating a “celestial atmosphere, bathed in a soft purple glow.” They played hits from their 2025 album One Is Always Heading Somewhere, which landed at No. 18 on our 50 Best New Zealand Albums of 2025 list, and more.
In a 2025 interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, the trio – made up of siblings Cello Forrester, Haz Forrester, and Georgette Brown – said the album came from new life experiences, including a new love for Cello. “That kind of experience makes you very open to paying attention to everything around you,” they said.
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Finally, there’s BENEE. Known and beloved globally, the Kiwi superstar with hits like “Supalonely” and “Glitter”, and armed with a new album Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles, took the stage and, somehow, owned the most aggressive mosh pit of the day. Plus, she made a special appearance later on as Role Model’s ‘Sally’ – check it out here.
“She bounced across the stage in her plaid tartan mini skirt and fluffy BENEE boots, hair extensions trailing behind her. We were witnessing her in her new era, though she was still her kooky, quirky self, full of eccentricities and idiosyncrasies,” we wrote.
Laneway will continue on to Australia tomorrow (February 7th), hitting the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.
