Originally published in Waikato Times, Monday 19 January 2026.
By Mike Mather.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor is one of the leading lights of the British pop scene and will be the first international artist to grace the stage of the BNZ Theatre. PHOTO: Jordan Munns.
Get out your diaries and calendars, because there are an abundance of shows at the BNZ Theatre over the coming weeks and months.
Following the locally-made, and -produced showcase To The Stars / Ki ngā Whetū, which is being performed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Live Nation’s official launch event - featuring New Zealand soul singer Teeks - is being held on Friday.
But those who have been holding off purchasing a ticket to that historic show will be too late to get one now: The event completely sold out some weeks ago.
Over the following two nights Sir Dave Dobbyn will bring his Selected Songs Tour to the theatre. The first night is very close to being sold out, however some seats for the second night on Sunday are available via Live Nation’s ticketmaster.co.nz website.
Sir Dave Dobbyn has two shows on Saturday and Sunday nights at the BNZ Theatre.
PHOTO: Bruce MacKay / THE POST.
Soon after, on Tuesday, February 3, the theatre will host its first international act: British pop superstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The 46-year-old has had a succession of hits, including Murder on the Dancefloor and her collaboration with DJ Spiller, Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love).
On February 12 and 13 the first Tagata Moana work Upu will be staged at the theatre. A celebration of Pasifika culture and poetry performed in English, it features an ensemble of acclaimed artists including Miriama McDowell, Jarod Rawiri and Nicola Kāwana. The show enhanced by evocative lighting, projections and an original multi-layered soundscape design.
The performers of Upu, a multimedia show that will take the stage at Waikato Regional Theatre on February 12-13, 2026.
Menopause The Musical, which is being staged on March 10, sounds prima facie like it might not be an entirely pleasant experience. That is evidently not the case, however, as the show is another that is close to totally selling out.
Next on the schedule is the revered singer-songwriter Bic Runga, who brings her Red Sunset Tour to the theatre for one night only, on March 21. Runga last performed in Hamilton when she headlined the Hamilton Arts Festival in 2024.
Bic Runga will make her long-awaited return to Hamilton on March 21.
A week later, the Soweto Gospel Choir - which was the first act announced for the then-named Waikato Regional Theatre - will play on March 28. Like Runga, the group have also previously headlined the then-named Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival in 2015.
Top Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel has a date at the theatre on May 19. Touted as the best acoustic guitarist in the world, he is acclaimed for his of playing bass lines, chords, melodies, and harmonies simultaneously using the thumb and fingers of the right hand, achieving a dynamic range of sound from the instrument.
The theatre will host its first scheduled comedian - at this point in time, anyway - on July 31, when Alan Davies brings his cerebral show Think Ahead to Waikato audiences.
Later, the Royal New Zealand Ballet will take up a three day residency in the theatre from November 27 to 29 with its touring production of Sleeping Beauty. The itinerary will include a Saturday afternoon matinee performance.
There will, of course, be many more shows announced over the coming months. Keep reading the Waikato Times to find out who is next.