Originally published in Waikato Times, Thursday 20 November 2025.
By Mike Mather.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, one of the leading lights of the British pop scene, will be bringing Murder on the Dancefloor and other hits to Hamilton on February 3. PHOTO: Jordan Munns.
The Waikato Regional Theatre will become disco central on Tuesday, February 3, when British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor comes to play.
The Hamilton venue is one of only two on her just-announced tour of New Zealand - the other being the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch.
One of the biggest British artists to emerge from the early 2000s, Ellis-Bextor established her pop diva credentials with hits like Murder On The Dancefloor, Get Over You and Take Me Home.
Now with seven studio albums to her name. Ellis-Bextor’s discography encompases numerous genres, from dance-pop and folk to prog-rock and orchestral pop.
The London-born Ellis-Bextor grew up in a creative household, and took an interest in performing at an early age.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor was one of the success stories of the British pop scene of the early 2000s.
By 17, she had joined Britpop band Theaudience, which ascended to #22 on the UK charts with their debut album. Following the group’s breakup in 1999, Ellis-Bextor immediately launched into what would prove a phenomenally-successful career as a solo artist.
Showcasing a blend of ’80s-influenced synth-pop and disco, her 2001 album Read My Lips reached number 2 in the UK and hit the top 20 in several countries around the globe - including New Zealand, where it hit the number 9 spot.
Ellis-Bextor enjoyed a pop culture resurgence in 2023 after Murder on the Dancefloor was featured in cult film Saltburn, and covered by Australian guitar-pop group Royel Otis - whose version reached number 1 on the US alternative chart.
As well as her previous hits, Ellis-Bextor’s upcoming concert will showcase tracks from her latest, critically-acclaimed album Perimenopop.
Tickets will go on sale for the general public from 1pm on Monday, via the Ticketmaster website. For those who can’t wait until then, a special pre-sale through Live Nation will get under way at midday on Friday until midday on Monday, or until the allocation is exhausted.
People can sign up at livenation.co.nz/register for that deal.
There is also a separate pre-sale for Westpac Mastercard customers, under the same timespan.
The announcement is the latest of additions to an ever-growing slate of shows booked at the city’s new theatre, which will be opened on Monday, January 19.
Concerts and shows by Dave Dobbyn, Teeks, the Soweto Gospel Choir, Tommy Emmanuel, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet are among the other acts that will be seen by audiences next year.