John Otway Returning to Aotearoa New Zealand With Band

The chart-topping UK cult rocker beloved by fans as Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure — not actually at all true — John Otway is making a triumphant return to Aotearoa New Zealand in March 2026. A pioneering punk songwriter whose career spans two number one singles, more than 5000 live shows around the world, seventeen albums at last count, two books and even a feature film documenting his legend, John Otway first broke into the big time with 'Really Free', his 1977 hit with Wild Willy Barrett — leading to an infamous live appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test and a (much less hair-raising) performance on The Young Ones.

Last here in 2023 when he heroically squeezed in two nationwide tours, Otway's forthcoming NZ tour will be his first with full band, who've been together with the same lineup for more than three decades. Read Otway's exclusive interview with himself (!) last time he visited HERE, learn all about Otway's crowdfunded next record The World HERE, and don't you dare snooze on these guaranteed knockout gigs as part of his world tour — brought to you by CLEAN DiRT...

UnderTheRadar proudly presents...

John Otway and Band

Tuesday 24th March - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Wednesday 25th March - The Crown, Dunedin
Thursday 26th March - The Penguin Club, Ōamaru
Saturday 28th March- A Rolling Stone, Christchurch

Tickets on sale HERE via UTR

Here's Otway and band playing 'House Of The Rising Sun' with an adoring crowd of fans at the EMI Abbey Road Studios in 2002, which launched him back onto the charts for his 50th birthday...

Check out John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett's 1981 video for 'Headbutts'...

Spice Girl Mel B attempts to pick out John Otway from a lineup of Otway imposters, on music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, hosted by Mark Lamarr...

Watch the trailer for Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie...

Press release:

Exactly 20 years since they should have taken off. John Otway is finally going around the world with his band next year 20th March - 6th April 2026.

During their circumnavigation they will be playing Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

About 50 fans are expected to follow them on the adventure. Many of these are veterans of the original Otway world tour 2006.

Following his top ten Hit record Bunsen Burner, John attempted to hire his own jet to do a similar tour - the collapse of which was documented in the movie Rock and Roll’s Greatest Failure which is currently showing on Netflix.

It’s also the thirty three and a third anniversary of the band (which is something of a long playing record). To celebrate this achievement Otway is crowdfunding the band’s next album . The World record A 12 inch picture disc - one of the sides will be an image of the North hemisphere - the other the south hemisphere.

On the north side will be tracks recorded in London Vancouver and Tokyo and on the South side tracks laid down in New Zealand and Australia.

When you place the record on the turntable the spindle will represent the North Pole and visa versa. Listeners can then observe the world revolving around Otway’s music Also South of Melbourne is the Otway National Park - it’s brilliant - John can introduce his band to the The Otway Cape, The Otway Lighthouse, The Otway fly tree top adventure, they can drink Otway pale ale, stay in the Otway Motel - and then do a gig.