Originally published in Waikato Times, Wednesday 21 January 2026.
By Katie Hunter.
Hamilton Hotel general manager and co-owner Jonathan Knapp described the opening night as “super buzzy”. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
Tills rang in bars and eateries as the theatre precinct enjoyed a full house before the curtain went up on Hamilton’s newest venue as theatregoers tucked into steak frites, pomegranate cosmopolitans, and popped bottles of bubbles.
The doors opened to the public for BNZ Theatre’s inaugural production on Monday night, drawing a crowd of 1200 people to the city centre.
Hamilton Hotel general manager and co-owner Jonathan Knapp described the opening night as “super buzzy” for the hospitality establishments located in the theatre.
Hamilton Hotel Public Bar & Bistro’s Jonathan Knapp. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
By 4.30pm Hamilton Hotel’s pub was packed and the bistro’s dinner service was fully booked out.
“Even during intermission we had people coming in for drinks, [a] quick 15 minute beer before they had to go back,” Knapp said.
The night didn’t come to an end once the performers had taken their final bows. Knapp estimated 30 or 40 punters returned to the bar for a post-show nightcap, with more heading to cocktail bar Wonder Horse to round off their evening.
The response to the four new hospitality venues in the theatre precinct had been “really great”.
Hamilton Hotel Public Bar & Bistro’s Issy Miram shows of the establishment’s prawn cocktail appetiser. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
“You open four venues simultaneously at the busiest time of the year - it's maybe a little daunting, but personally I've been really stoked with how the team's responded to how busy we've been.”
The real test, as he described it, would be on Friday night when soul singer Teeks took to the stage. Hamilton Hotel would be catering a pre-show Live Nation event and the bistro was booked out for dinner.
“It's going to be fun. Then [Dave Dobbyn] on Saturday and Sunday are looking busy as well.”
Knapp was confident restaurants and bars around the central city would reap the benefits of the new theatre.
“[There’s] potentially 1200 extra people in town two or three nights a week, everyone looking for somewhere to have a drink and a bite to eat either before or after the show.”
“I think it's massive for the city,” he said. “I think once people see what's actually been created in there [the theatre], it's going to blow their minds a little bit.”
The night didn’t come to an end once the performers had taken their final bows. Knapp estimated 30 or 40 punters had returned to the bar for a post-show nightcap, with more heading to cocktail bar Wonder Horse to round off their evening. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
But one Hamilton hospitality boss said the jury was still out whether Waikato’s newest performance venue would deliver a boost to bars and eateries around the city centre.
Lawrenson Group founder John Lawrenson opened a few venues which weren’t typically open on a Monday night for the theatre’s inaugural production, but said he had not seen the expected crowds come in for a bite to eat or a drink.
“I was walking around looking at other venues last night, it certainly was not busy.”
He expected the upcoming Teeks and Dave Dobbyn concerts to act as a “litmus test” on the theatre’s impact on local hospitality.
Hospitality boss John Lawrenson said the upcoming Teeks and Dave Dobbyn concerts would act as a “litmus test” for the theatre’s impact on local hospitality. PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
Asked how Hamilton’s bars and eateries were faring in general, Lawrenson said things were looking up compared to recent years and he had a positive outlook on the next 12 months.
“With the fact that the OCR is as low as it is and a lot of people will be re-fixing their mortgages over the next 6 months, I think that will mean a lot of people have a lot more discretionary income to spend.”
He added Fonterra’s payout to farmers following the sale of Anchor would trickle down to the rest of the region.
“I’m optimistic about this year for hospitality generally but it has almost nothing to do with the theatre,” he said.
“I really want to be wrong, obviously - I mean if the theatre works and it’s a huge boom for the city and for hospitality that’s going to be amazing.”