Legendary Kiwi band Split Enz have added a new date to their recently-announced New Zealand tour, following overwhelming demand.
The band – featuring Tim Finn, Eddie Rayner, Neil Finn, and Noel Crombie – announced the tour over the weekend, after playing their first show in 18 years at Electric Avenue 2026. Tim revealed it was the band’s 1,000th gig, making it an even more special occasion.
They’re following it up with arena shows in Wellington and Auckland – and have added a final Wellington date due to demand. The new show will take place on Thursday, May 7th at TSB Arena.
Tickets for the new show will go on sale at 1:30pm (local) today (March 5th). Limited tickets remain for the other days (Wellington on May 6th and Auckland on May 9th). See here for details.
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Rolling Stone AU/NZ was at Electric Avenue to witness Split Enz’s major comeback set.
“Unarguably one of New Zealand’s most successful and influential bands, Split Enz returned after almost 20 years on hiatus, walking onto the stage together hidden under a red silk cloak, the pranksters wasting no time in unleashing their famous antics,” we wrote in our four-star review.
“Wearing dapper suits, undoubtedly inspired by their iconic band photo, it was everything I wanted and more as a young gal who had grown up listening to my parents’ Split Enz compilation CD on repeat. Many in the crowd belted out the lyrics to ‘Six Months in a Leaky Boat’, a song ingrained in my brain since primary school. People my age were with their parents as festival veterans were right in front of the stage. Others, like the 80-year-old legend in my Uber Pool, were going just for the band. With so many different ages in the crowd, it felt nice to feel part of such a diverse collective as well as something quintessentially Kiwi.”
Formed in Auckland in 1972, Split Enz (originally Split Ends) operated in their own universe from day one, stitching together folk, art-rock, theatrical flourishes and new wave long before any of it had names. They didn’t chase trends; they set them. Their influence runs right through the past five decades of Australasian music, even as their catalogue has remained as idiosyncratic and inventive as ever.
This year marks the 51st anniversary of the band’s iconic debut album, Mental Notes. That album, along with the band’s entire catalogue, is part of the Enzyclopedia re-release series, the first of which dropped last November.
Split Enz will also headline Bluesfest 2026 in April, leading a stacked lineup including Earth, Wide & Fire, Sublime, The Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, Marcus King Band, The Dreggs, Xavier Rudd, The Living End, South Summit, Pierce Brothers, and more.
Then, the group will also tour Australia in May, hitting Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide. Their last live outing on Aussie shores came at 2009’s Sound Relief concert at the MCG. Split Enz were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005.
For complete tour and ticket information, see here.
SPLIT ENZ NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2026
Wednesday, May 6th
TSB Arena, Wellington NZ
Thursday, May 7th (NEW AND FINAL SHOW)
TSB Arena, Wellington NZ
Saturday, May 9th
Spark Arena, Auckland NZ
