GREAT SOUNDS GREAT 2026 Full Lineup Announced ft. Beastwars, Hemi Hemingway, Pitch Black, Amamelia, MP Tamatha Paul + More

Eyegum Music Collective take the already outrageous lineup for Great Sounds Great 2026 over the top, with the revelation of even more local sonic champ performing at the Te Whanganui-a-Tara multi-venue festival this September. Fresh additions include Pōneke metal lords Beastwars, Aotearoa electronic innovators Pitch Black, Naarm-based 2024 Best Electronic Artist Tūī winner Amamelia, dashing new romantic / rock crooner Hemi Hemingway, and a special DJ set by MP for Wellington Central Tamatha Paul (Green Party).

The Eyegum team have also announced the return of Tonic Collective's travelling stage (including the aforementioned Pitch Black and Amamelia), and a major new venue space for the fest Meow Nui expanding capacity significantly. Spreading wings beyond music, the lineup for Great Sound Great 2026 now includes poets Chris Tse, Dani Yourukova, and Jackson McCarthy. This is all in addition to the monster-sized first lineup announcement, including such local heroes as Bic Runga, MOKOTRON, Silicon, MĀ, Savage (DJ set) and special guest from Japan, BEATROCK dynamo Deathro.

In case you missed the memo, Eyegum recently spilled the beans about their first ever The Night Before (Great Sounds Great) mini-fest in Newtown, hosting twelve acts at Newtown gig hubs Moon, Office Bar and Newtown Community Centre on 4th September. Make a beeline to the capital for Great Sounds Great 2026 — here are the updated details...

The Night Before (Great Sounds Great)
Newtown Multi-Venue Warmer
Featuring... Bone Chapel, Boy Band, Bug Michigan, Dale Kerrigan, Dillon Jo, Elly Mae, Felix Bird, Girls Factory, Nameless and Brainless, Re:Ruby, The Muscle, Yawner
Friday 4th September - Moon / Office Bar / Newtown Community Centre, Wellington
Tickets on sale HERE via UTR

Great Sounds Great 2026
Featuring... Amamelia, Beastwars, Bic Runga, Bri Louise, Chris Tse, Crook, Cruelly, Dani Yourukova, Deathro (JPN), Dream Chambers, Fazed on a Pony, Groove Council, Hemi Hemingway, Hihi & The Stitchbirds, Hunter Jackson, In Good Company, Jackson McCarthy, JELL, Ludus b2b Rizzo, MĀ, Mauri Aura, mHz, Mokotron, More Blue Noise, Naakz & Babyzoot, Office Dog, Pearly*, Pitch Black, Savage (DJ Set), Savagehine, Sheeps, Silicon, So So Modern, Soft Bait, Tamatha Paul, The Sour, The Spectre Collective: Live-Scored Cinema, Tūi Band, Unsanitary Napkin

Saturday 5th September - Te Aro, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (3pm start)
Meow Nui, San Fran, Meow, Valhalla, Rogue & Vagabond, Bedlam & Squalor, Hotel Bristol, St Peter's on Willis, Flying Nun Records, 13 Garrett St, Tonic Travelling Stage
Tickets on sale via eyegum.co.nz

Check out the official Great Sounds Great 2026 lineup video...

Smash play on 'LEVITATE' from Beastwars' new album The Ship // The Sea...

Be swept away by Simon Ward's animated video for 'The Floating Opera', from Amamelia's new album The Joy Of Living...

Experience Pitch Black's 2024 single 'Third Light (Adrian Sherwood's Echoes of the Night 10inch Dub Mix)'...

Swoon along with the title track to Hemi Hemingway's new album Wings of Desire...

Press release:

Eyegum Music Collective is pleased to add more incredible artists to the lineup for GREAT SOUNDS GREAT, the multi-venue music and arts festival taking over Pōneke's Te Aro precinct for one night on Saturday 5 September 2026. Showcasing 40 of Aotearoa's best artists across 10 neighbouring venues, this is one big party that shouldn't be missed.

New additions include heavy-hitting legends Beastwars, cowboy crooner Hemi Hemingway, and a DJ set from local MP Tamatha Paul. Tonic Collective are back with an impeccably curated lineup for their travelling stage, which includes Pitch Black celebrating 30 years as Aotearoa electronica pioneers and award winning sonic explorer Amamelia. It's not all music, three of our best poets Chris Tse, Dani Yourukova, and Jackson McCarthy will also perform.

They all join already announced artists like national treasures Bic Runga and Savage, Kody Nielson’s enigmatic project Silicon, math rock wizards So So Modern, powerhouse party starter Mokotron, and local hip hop sensation MĀ.

Excitingly for 2026, we are adding a new venue, the incomparable Meow Nui, helping make this year's event bigger and better than ever. We are also throwing a warm-up party, The Night Before, across three venues in Newtown village on Friday 4 September. This will showcase 12 incredible up-and-coming artists and is the perfect way to prepare for the main event.

Limited tickets to Pōneke's biggest inner-city bash are on sale now from eyegum.co.nz and selling fast.