Ten Shows you need to catch at Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2026
Published: Thursday 26 February 2026
The countdown is on until the iconic Spiegeltent pops up in Aotea Square and our venues are alive with an exceptional line-up of dance, music, Circus and cabaret from Aotearoa and around the globe.
We’ve put together a list of must see festival highlights during this year’s Auckland Arts Festival.
La Ronde
Thu 5 – Sun 22 Mar | 📍 Spiegeltent, Aotea Square
Gather your best-dressed pals, enter the Spiegeltent and get ready for a dazzling spectacle you won’t soon forget at La Ronde. Settle in for a heady mix of gravity-defying aerial work, fire breathing acrobatics and choreography dripping with sass.
Duck Pond
Thu 12 – Sun 15 Mar | 📍Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
Get ready for a cheeky, exuberant and utterly spectacular dance show. Duck Pond takes Tchaikovsky’s beloved masterpiece and gives it a dazzling circus twist. In this whimsically audacious reimagining, contemporary circus company Circa deliver sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping acrobatics and a flurry of feathers in glorious fusion of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling.
27 Club
Wed 18 – Fri 20 Mar | 📍Spiegeltent, Aotea Square
Lift the roof off the Spiegeltent! Experience the tracks from music legends, all gone too soon, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Performed by Aussie rock royalty from The Superjesus, Jebadiah, Mondo Pshyo and Wanderers. Gather your friends and get ready for a full-throttle celebration of rock and roll.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Thu 19 – Fri 20 Mar | 📍 Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Ever wondered what is like to hear 100 classical musicians on stage? Well, you can experience an evening of classical delights with China’s prestigious, Oscar winning, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. You won’t want to miss these sounds reverberate in the Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall.
Ten Thousand Hours
Thu 19 – Sun 22 Mar | 📍The Civic
In family friendly acrobatic show Ten Thousand Hours the action on stage is guided by the audience - watch your kids jump out of their seats as they see their ideas come to life on stage! No two shows are the same for this super human squad - prepare to be entertained. $30 tickets for under 30's available.
BIG HORNS
Sat 21 Mar | 📍Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Enjoy the Super Fly sound of BIG HORNS. This homegrown funk unit is serving up reimagined dancefloor hits from Beyonce, Dr. Dre, De La Soul, Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind and Fire and more.
Helios
Sat 7 – Sun 15 Mar | FREE | 📍Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
This summer’s most instagrammable moment is here. Visualise the beauty and complexity of our closest star with a breathtaking larger-than-life artwork of the Sun. Also, you can sign up for early morning Yoga, Mediation and Breathwork every morning from 7.30am.
Festival Garden
Thu 5 – Sun 22 Mar | FREE | 📍Aotea Square
Whether you’re out to see a show or here to hang out, come bask in the sun or revel as dusk settles for eats, drinks, FREE live music, art and so much more. Aotea Square is transformed into a lively hub featuring the awe-inspiring bubble sculpture Evanescent, rova Sound Stage and make sure you join us to kick off the 2026 Auckland Arts Festival with Island Vibes at Sau Fiafia! Boogie Down!
ONO with Moana and The Tribe
Sun 8 Mar | 📍Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Moana & The Tribe as they perform their latest album in a breathtaking hybrid of live performance and video showcase infused with sublime vocals, kapa haka and dance prowess.
Macbeth
Royal New Zealand Ballet
Wed 4 – Sat 7 Mar | 📍Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
Get ready for a bold and bloody re-telling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth from the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
What's on at Q Theatre
Don't miss an eclectic line-up of shows happening at Q Theatre including a reimagining of one of the most pivotal days in Australia's history at The Visitors, a live cooking session called A Place in the Sultan's Kitchen, an intoxicating celebration of movement, music and stamina called The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave and so much more. Check out the full line-up here
