Interview: Port Noise Festival 2026 + Photo Gallery

A festival so fabulous I've ponied up and flown from Tāmaki twice to attend, Port Noise in Ōhinehou Lyttelton is a multi-venue community celebration of music and arts, hosting artists from all around Aotearoa and beyond. First kicked off in 2023, this year's programme of events is the festival's most ambitious to date, featuring an array of Week Of Port Noise lead-in events, installations, "artist-led micro experiences", and such visiting sonic luminaries as HTRK, Jim White & Marisa Anderson and Our Carlson. The equally stellar local contingent includes Roy Montgomery, Die! Die! Die!, Jujulipps, Waiwhai and even more.

Co-founders Rose Smyth and Ben Woods spared time from a busy schedule to talk about their ever-evolving shared vision for Port Noise — accompanied by photographic highlights from previous years...

WEEK OF PORT NOISE 2026
Ōhinehou / Lyttelton
Limited tickets via portnoise.co.nz

Lines & Freq.
POETRY & SONICS COLLABORATION
Tuesday 17th February - Lyttelton Coffee Company
In the intimate and iconic space that is Ōhinehou Coffee Company, some of Aotearoa’s finest poets come together to perform a selection of their writings. Simultaneously, Port Noise’s troupe of avant-garde musical improvisers interpret their words live, bringing them into the sound field. Featuring Dominic Hoey, Ben Brown, Rebecca Nash, Hester Ullyart, Josiah Morgan, Popi Newbery, and many more.

DELANEY DAVIDSON’S SURPRISE REVUE
CURATED VARIETY SHOW
Wednesday 18th February - Lyttelton Arts Factory
Well known for his inspired curation of events such as the 2025 Silver Scrolls, The Bad Medicine Show, and his legendary, seminal production twists on things, Delaney Davidson presents an unmissable cabaret-style show of local talent. Expect the familiar, and the unexpected.

NOA RECORDS PRESENTS - TAHA TAU: ŌHINEHOU
ATMOSPHERIC PERFORMANCE / TAONGA PUORO
Thursday 19th February - Lyttelton Arts Factory
Noa Records warmly presents a deep and slow performance experience comprised of serial chillers from Tāmaki to Pōneke to Ōtautahi, weilding taonga puoro, strings and electronic instruments. Taha Tau: Ōhinehau features members of the WAIWHAI. group, Mauri Aura, Motte, and other special musical guests, as well as visual accompaniment by Sina Leo.
Expect a misty cinematic evening of soothing sound, casually transcendent. Tau.

HANDS ACROSS THE WATER
MUSIC & SOCIAL GATHERING
Friday 20th February - Loons
Musicians from Aotearoa and Australia link arms across the Tasman, with hopes of building creative links between continents and putting on a fully charged gig the night before Port Noise.
Featuring Our Carlson (AUS), KOMMI, Sweet Whirl (AUS), and Hannah Everingham.

OPEN SPACE POP-UP EXHIBITION
Saturday 21st February - 4 Donald Street (free)
A collection of artists and makers from Ōtautahi and Ōhinehou come together in a romantic industrial space in the heart of the port for a pop-up showing and a general meeting of minds. Come mingle, enjoy light refreshments, some music, and celebrate the diversity and breadth of talent in our community.

PORT NOISE 2026
Saturday 21st February - Ōhinehou / Lyttelton

AAKI, Craigslist DJs, Die! Die! Die!, Fazed on a Pony, G1 is Jack Peter Kettley, Georgia Knight, HTRK (AUS), Internet Death, Jim White & Marisa Anderson (AUS/USA), Jujulipps, Mauri Aura, Mona Vasa, Motte, Oksun Ox, Our Carlson (AUS), Roy Montgomery and Company, Sam Harmony, Sewage, Tina Disco (AUS), Twin Rudders, Waiwhai

Doors open at 3pm
All ages welcome – but the event isn’t designed for kids
Under-18s must attend with a parent or legal guardian
General Admission tickets + The Full Noise bundles are now on sale via portnoise.co.nz

Chris Cudby: What are each of your roles for Port Noise?

Rose Smyth: People often want a clear split of roles, but Port Noise is very collaborative. Ben and I make most decisions together and are in constant conversation.

We’re both deeply involved in curation, just in different ways. Ben brings an instinctive, immersed understanding of music, and I come from more of a promoter and producer background, with a lot of experience in putting on shows and shaping how audiences move through spaces. Our taste and instincts are very aligned, so decisions tend to land easily.

Practically, I’ll lead things like site layout and staging design, working closely with our set designer Rowan Pierce, then bring that back to Ben to sense-check. Ben might draft the timetable, and then we shape it together. It’s a genuine partnership.

Ben Woods: It’s a mix, but Rose spearheads a lot of site administration and comms, while I mostly focus on the marketing, dealing with the artists, and design. Though, we are both control freaks, so all of this overlaps. We both smash our heads together over the curation and booking process — somehow out of the cloud of dust a festival emerges.

Cool Sounds bringing it across the Tasman.

Can you please each describe your own experiences / involvement with local music, before you got Port Noise rolling?

Rose: I’ve been involved in music promotion for a long time. It really started when I ran a café that was part of Evil Genius Record Store in Wellington. Through that space, I was constantly putting on shows, including hosting Lyttelton artists playing in the café.

Over time, I put on a range of gigs and one-off events, including things like a Beyoncé covers night at Mighty Mighty. I later ran Loons as a venue and worked on Nostalgia Festival. Port Noise feels like a natural extension of years of organising shows and experimenting with how music sits within spaces and communities.

Ben: I’m a musician, but as far as organising gigs goes, when I was a teenager me and my friends would put on DIY gigs after the earthquake killed all the all-ages venues in Ōtautahi.

I was super excited by the band Fugazi back then. I think their whole idea of trying to stop music and concerts from stagnating by continually moving the needle — that stuck with me. Take people out of the context they are used to and suddenly they can see what they’re looking at more clearly kind-of-thing.

I feel like doing those DIY gigs as a young person made me feel like — "this is the real shit!". That special glowing feeling of doing a gig with a bit of heart and with people in mind has somehow given me enough drive to try to keep at organising and working on events, as well as keeping up as a musician.

Mokotron and the landscape.

What was the initial vision for Port Noise?

Rose: Ben, Johnny from Nostalgia Festival, and I originally talked about a small festival idea. It didn’t have a name at that stage. Then Covid hit.

After that, Ben planned a smaller show and called it Port Noise, but another lockdown meant it was cancelled. When Ben and I later started talking seriously about building a larger festival together, the name Port Noise already felt perfect.

I’d also always wanted to use the outdoor carpark space and connect the venues through it. That idea had been sitting with me for years, and Port Noise finally gave it a structure.

Ben: I had tried to put on a little multi-stage gig called Port Noise at a cafe in Lyttelton, with a bigger lineup and some nice lighting and food. I guess like a mini-festival in one venue. It got canned because of Covid.

Later, a mentor of ours approached me and pretty much said, “you will likely be able to get this money from the council if you do this thing — do it". Me and Rose had often seen each other on the street in Lyttelton and shared ideas around how a festival here could be different and special. We could respect and offer some genuine interest in the artists and audiences attending... We could try and subvert the festival format in fun and surreal ways... I remember we talked about how we’d want the audience to have a great time at the festival even if we had no music at all.

Port Noise first ever meeting.

How has the original vision changed shape / evolved, as we near Port Noise festival number four?

Rose: The festival has grown significantly, particularly outdoors. The site now includes two stages, with the second stage this year in a really special location.

The entire festival grounds have been designed by Rowan Pierce, who works with WOW and Atamira Dance Company and was previously a member of Glass Vaults. His design has brought a cohesive, considered feel to the site that really reflects the port environment.

We’ve also expanded the Arts Week programme and are developing an arts residency, bringing artists into Port to spend time together, make work, and connect.

At the same time, we’re building stronger relationships between Aotearoa and Australian artists. Touring between those places feels far more sustainable and meaningful, and we’re keen to help support those connections.

Ben: Well it’s expanded a lot, compared to what was initially conceptualised. It’s I think the same vision, just more fleshed out. We’ve got all these side shows now, that can be more curated for individual performances and different art forms. We keep finding new ways to make the main event bigger and wackier, while also trying to make sure it feels comfy, and all encompassing, but not overwhelming.

Staff and artist snags feat. Stefan Neville, Erika Grant, and Ben Lemi.

How has the festival been received by the wider Ōhinehou Lyttelton community?

Rose: Ben and I both grew up in Lyttelton, so we understand the complexity of the community. It’s a mix of artists, outdoors-focused people, and at its heart a working port town of very direct, practical people.

Through years of working in hospitality, we’ve built relationships across that community. That’s been crucial. There are people, including marine engineers and other local workers, who support the festival in very practical ways that genuinely make it possible.

We’re always conscious that we bring a lot of arts-focused visitors into town, and that doesn’t represent the entire community. Navigating that respectfully and collaboratively is really important to us.

Ben: Really well. There’s a lot of love for it — the team is pretty much made up of our friends, and if not, then our friends' friends, who quickly become our friends. It feels lovely when everyone is there on the day giddy and beaming at each other. We’ve got most of the venues and restaurants around involved in some kind of way, so there’s a tangible feeling of everyone coming out onto the streets together.

Wunderbar ravers beware.

What spurred you to expand the festival with the Week Of Port Noise programme?

Rose: A core part of our vision is bringing artists together and giving audiences space to experience more adventurous programming. One night didn’t feel like enough.

Extending the festival allows artists from Australia and Tāmaki Makaurau to spend more time in Port, while also creating space to celebrate Lyttelton artists across the week. It felt like a natural evolution.

Ben: Rose was super interested in diversifying into more mediums outside of music, and I liked the idea of being able to curate performances that wouldn’t work at a busy festival - being able to do an ambient gig where you can lay down for instance. I think there was an element being able to bring more people in from the community outside of music too.

Rooftop Secret Show feat. Pickle Darling.

How much research is involved in assembling the lineup each year? What artistic qualities are you on the look out for?

Rose: We keep a large, evolving master list that we’re always returning to, including artists we’ve wanted to book since the earliest days. Availability plays a big role, as does how artists fit together across the programme.

We’re drawn to strong songwriting, distinct voices, artists we feel deserve celebration, people who haven’t played for a while, and new projects that feel exciting or unexpected. A lot of the work happens through listening, watching live footage, and talking things through together.

Ben: I love the idea of trusting the curator. Like, if you love going to scope a particular DJ at a bar, or you have an online radio show you always put on at work... Whether or not you are all that conscious of the deal you’re making, you’re giving these people little sections of your day out of the belief that they are tuned into something special and mysterious that resonates in both of you.

It’s my hope that through all our aforementioned head-butting, more and more people come to Port Noise blind; perhaps knowing a few things on the lineup, but putting that faith in us to know that all the music has incredible finesse and is super engaging. And not only that, but more importantly that the finesse is focussed in on artists projecting something distinctly theirs that you can’t get anywhere else.

Kick ons.

Who else is involved in making Port Noise happen?

Rose: We’re incredibly lucky to work with such a supportive team, and as the festival has grown, we’ve been able to hand over more responsibility. Gina Johns is our producer and brings huge experience and calm to the process. Jessie Shanks from The Eastern is our artist liaison and provides an incredibly steady, caring presence for both artists and organisers.

We also work with excellent contractors and long-term collaborators. Hang Up provide lighting, Tom Lynch from TomTom Sound handles audio, and our venues are deeply supportive. Steve from Lyttelton Coffee Company goes above and beyond every year, as do places like Civil and Naval.

Rowan Pierce’s role as set designer has also been central to shaping the overall experience this year.

Ben: So many people... Shout out to — Gina Johns, Erin Broughton, Jessie Shanks, Rowan Pierce, Tom Lynch & Soundpeople crew, Isaac McFarlane, Steve and the team at OCC, all the venue teams, all the sponsors, all the volunteers(!), the whole hospo team, Tjalling de Vries, Kiri Jarden(!) + Tui and Jono… and many more I can’t spit out in thirty seconds typing in a hurry!

School Disco with Ferby.

Can you say if there will there be any secret shows in 2026? What's the role of these sets, in relation to the wider fest?

Rose: Secret shows are central to the spirit of Port Noise. They create space for artists to experiment, collaborate, or perform in very intimate environments they wouldn’t normally access.

They might be new collaborations or established artists playing in small rooms. For many people, they’re their favourite part of the festival, while others find the uncertainty challenging, which is part of the point.

The idea came from a festival I attended in Berlin, where not everything was visible or accessible to everyone. I love moving through Port on a party night, sending people off to find hidden spaces and unexpected moments. That sense of discovery feels essential to Port Noise.

Ben: When I go to a festival, I don’t want everything to be too planned out. I also want some respite from what can be a pretty high stim environment. I like the secret shows in that they give you an opportunity to go wander outside of that zone briefly, and have an experience that feels a little more intimate, and something that is just for you and another small pocket of people who you’re with.

Mykki Blanko circle pit.

Do you have any standout memories of previous Port Noise festivals? Any aspects you have been particularly proud of?

Rose: I’m really proud that we’re now in our fourth year, continuing to build this festival in our hometown. We’ve sustained it and grown it completely through passion.

I’m proud that audiences trust us to show them things they haven’t seen before. And I’m especially proud of the quieter moments. Last year, a gong bath with Ariana Tikao and Erika Grant during the lead-up week gave some solo mum friends a deeply moving, restorative experience. Seeing people leave moments like that feeling uplifted is incredibly rewarding.

The fact that the secret shows and wider programme genuinely resonate feels like a real achievement.

Ben: I wouldn’t categorise these as the BEST moments, but they are the first that come to mind when I try to conjure up the joys of this whole experience over the last few years.

Mykki Blanko’s performance where they spent ninety percent of the time in the crowd, opening up a circle to perform in. Huge thespian energy followed by pole dancing high up above the crowd off an industrial staircase in the most beautifully hectic pair of jeans.

Laying down with friends in the dark to the gong bath / taonga collab last year with Ariana and Erika. Coming back into my shattered body and realising the amount of stress organising this thing causes — then watching that feeling become eclipsed by the love for all the people involved.

The Dance Asthmatics playing at Lyttelton Coffee Company — watching Human 22 go "Tyson! JELLY MEAT FOR DINNER!" at the start of that amazing song. I was thinking about how unhinged their music is, but how it’s so iconic in its intensity and character. Everyone was just so ready to go. It felt like they used their terrifying music to open up the chakras of everyone in East Canterbury, and suddenly it was like the Zion City dance scene from the Matrix.

The crew / artist BBQ the day after the festival each year — the afterglow of all that intensity and excitement, and being left with an exhausted body, but a full heart. Coming together with some of my great friends and some of my favourite artists to recline and do nothing after it’s all over.

KOMMI keeping it spooky.

Click on the thumbnail images below for a gallery of highlights from previous Port Noise festivals...