Kia ora from the Theatre Manager
Construction of the Waikato Regional Theatre is now close to the finish line, ahead of its public opening on the 23rd of January 2026.
After years of imagining, planning, fundraising and construction, this epic landmark is finally about to be ignited as a working theatre. The focus now is on the fit-out, testing technical systems and getting the venue ready for patrons rather than tradies.
Over the next month we’ll be making sure everything works the way it should. It’s a detailed process designed to ensure the first audiences through the door get the experience they deserve.
At the same time, anticipation is building for the opening itself, that moment when the lights come up and the Theatre begins its life as the beating heart of the Waikato’s performing arts scene.
The first performances are something special: invitation-only evenings for the donors, partners, and community supporters who made this project possible. These are not public galas, rather they are thank-you events and a chance for the people who believed in the vision and backed it to see the Theatre in action before anyone else.
To mark the occasion, we’ve commissioned a brand-new performance work that celebrates the Waikato and the people who built it, which will run in the days before the public opening.
‘To The Stars | Ki ngā Whetū’, directed by Jeremy Mayall and his creative team, brings together schools, choirs, kapa haka, and artists from across the region in a shared story of connection, pride, and imagination.
To The Stars | Ki ngā Whetū is about more than opening a venue. It’s about the people who made it possible, those who stuck with the project through years of challenge and change, a celebration of generosity, creativity and persistence.
This Theatre has been built by its community. These performances are our way of saying thank you, and of marking the start of something that will serve the city and region for generations to come.
After these preview nights, the Theatre will open to the public, welcoming audiences from across the Waikato and beyond to experience their new home for live performance.
Waikato Times: Pipe dream - Quantity surveyor bags prime position for Waikato Regional Theatre
By Mike Mather, Saturday 18 October 2025.
Fosters' Alec Calderwood takes a breather after playing the bagpipes to mark the installation of the lightning rod - the final element of the Waikato Regional Theatre’s exterior. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
The distinctive strains of It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock N Roll) brought people to a standstill in downtown Hamilton on Friday.
This was no ordinary rendition of the oft-played AC/DC anthem. Performed on the bagpipes by Fosters Construction quantity surveyor Alec Calderwood, it was a pertinently-chosen tune to help mark a milestone in the construction of the Waikato Regional Theatre.
Not long before, the final piece of the construction of the exterior of the $80 million facility had been locked into place: A tall, thin lightning rod that sits atop the theatre fly-tower.
Waikato Times: Hamilton’s new theatre takes the stage - on canvas
By Mike Mather, Friday 17 October 2025.
In her painting titled The Glow, artist Hong Cumming has presented an elevated view of the Waikato Regional Theatre that includes the original Hamilton Hotel façade and the cube-like structure housing the flying system - all wrapped up in some typical Hamilton weather.
A poignant image of the Chateau Tongariro and possibly the first rendition in paint of the Waikato Regional Theatre are among the works to been seen in a new exhibition in Hamilton.
It’s called Design is Everything, and will get under way at the Welcome Swallow Gallery in Hamilton East on Friday.
As the name suggests, the 21 paintings and drawings all depict buildings from around the region as well as further afield.
Gallery curator Clive Gilson said since “design is universal to the human experience we wanted our exceptional gallery artists to bring this to life with their own original versions of recognizable local structures, alongside global architecture”.
Waikato Times: Ready To Roll at new Waikato Regional Theatre
By Isabella Root, Monday 13 October 2025.
Th’ Dudes will bring the party to life with their iconic line up featuring Peter Urlich, Bruce Hambling, Lez White, Rikki Morris and Brett Adams.
If you grew up with Ready To Roll on your TV every Saturday, then this one is for you.
Three of Aotearoa’s iconic bands, Th’ Dudes, The Mockers and Stellar* are joining forces for Ready To Roll, a nationwide tour set to revive the country with old-school Kiwi rock and roll energy.
The show will bring a night of nostalgia and unforgettable music hits to the new Waikato Regional Theatre on January 29.
The tour takes its name from Ready To Roll, the long-running TV chart show that was a big hit from the 70s through to the 90s.
Waikato Times - Welcome home! Opening date, first acts for Waikato Regional Theatre revealed
By Mike Mather, Wednesday 1 October 2025.
Sir Dave Dobbyn will bring his Selected Songs tour to the opening week of the Waikato Regional Theatre in January. PHOTO: Tom Grut.
Save the date: New Zealand’s newest world-class entertainment venue, the Waikato Regional Theatre, will officially open its doors on Monday, January 19.
And one of New Zealand’s best singer-songwriters will be taking part in a first week of events that promises to be a memorable chapter in Hamilton’s history.
The series of opening events comprise three nights of community opening celebrations titled To The Stars/Ki ngā Whetū - which is described as being “built through the hands, voices and imaginations of the Waikato community”.
This will be followed by theatre operators Live Nation’s official launch event on the evening of January 23 - further details on which will be revealed within the next few weeks.
The opening week will close out the following night with one of Aotearoa’s most beloved and awarded artists, Sir Dave Dobbyn, who will bring his Selected Songs Tour to the Waikato.
Waikato Times - Tommy Emmanuel, NZSO the latest shows announced for the Waikato Regional Theatre
By Mike Mather, Friday 24 September 2025.
Virtuoso guitarist Tommy Emmanuel has a date the Waikato Regional Theatre on May 19, 2026.
Three more concerts have been added to a rapidly growing calendar of events at the Waikato Regional Theatre.
International acoustic guitar supremo Tommy Emmanuel and two shows by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in May and August next year are the latest confirmed dates - which promise a showcase for the venue as well as the musicians.
Emmanuel, who hails from New South Wales, will make a highly-anticipated return to Hamilton on Tuesday, May 19 next year.
Waikato Times: Soweto Gospel Choir the first show confirmed for Waikato Regional Theatre
By Mike Mather, Monday 15 September 2025.
The Soweto Gospel Choir will be performing at the Waikato Regional Theatre on March 28.
Anyone wanting the experience of seeing a show at Hamilton’s new $80 million Waikato Regional Theatre should mark off Saturday, March 28 in their diaries now.
That’s when the Soweto Gospel Choir will perform in the soon-to-open facility.
The choir last performed in Hamilton when they headlined the 2015 then-named Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, to rave reviews.
The show will not be the first at the theatre - that is still to be announced, along with the opening date, however these are understood to be imminent.
Waikato Times: Countdown to the curtain-raising at the Waikato Regional Theatre is under way
By Mike Mather, Saturday 6 September 2025.
The giant box housing the Waikato Regional Theatre’s flying system makes for an impressive fixture on Hamilton’s skyline. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
You could almost be forgiven for having bated breath.
Announcements are coming “very soon” for both the opening date and the opening shows at the new Waikato Regional Theatre.
Now nearing the end of its construction phase in the southern end of Victoria St, the $80 million facility - which will be managed by international entertainment giant Live Nation - is due to open its doors either later this year or early next year.
In a newsletter to supporters of Share the Stage - the fundraising campaign for the theatre run by the philanthropic organisation Momentum Waikato - theatre manager Gus Sharp hinted the “big reveal” will not be far away.