Rothko Records Presents Tāmaki Makaurau ALTFEST
Artist-run independent label Rothko Records presents the inaugural Tāmaki Makaurau ALTFEST, an 11-band gathering taking place at Morningside’s Big Fan on Saturday, 5 December. Co-curated alongside local scene legend Angelo Munro (Bleeders, Erase Everything), the all-ages and licensed event bridges Auckland’s emergent young alternative circuit with stalwarts of Aotearoa’s heavy and post-punk underground.
ALTFEST celebrates tenured artists and provides a platform for the next generation with a near-even split between senior and youth acts alongside touring guests from Wellington and Tauranga. Running continuously across eight hours, the festival showcases a spectrum of alternative adjacent genres: from shoegaze and post-punk, to sludge and prog.
Framing the bill’s two creative generations are co-headliners Swallow the Rat and Back to the Hillside. Seasoned post-punk outfit Swallow the Rat bring their dense, propulsive blend of prickly rhythm and psychedelic fuzz, honed across extensive US and European tours and supports for the likes of Sebadoh, Gang of Four, and Quicksand. Self-produced grungegaze torchbearers, Back to the Hillside, showcase their crushing wall of distortion and lush vocals as vanguards of the city’s underground youth circuit.
The veteran contingent of musicians features hardcore-infused alt-rock group Erase Everything (members of Bleeders, Shitripper, and Fever Lake), cinematic post-metal trio Sunwraith (ex-Decortica), monolithic doom act Demons of Noon, chorus-soaked heavy-hitters Nailfile, and visiting Tauranga hardcore agitators Threat.Meet.Protocol.
Representing the next wave alongside Back to the Hillside are fast-rising post-metal trio Exit Sign, Pōneke shoegaze/Midwest-emo outfit King Hit, and vital alt up-and-comers Chlorine and Somniium.
“Our goal with the Tāmaki Makaurau ALTFEST is simple: bring the wider alternative community under one roof and break down generational silos,” says Rothko Records’ Mathew Bosher. “Big Fan gives us an accessible, all-ages and licensed space where the new, savvy, DIY heroes can share a stage with artists who’ve toured the world for twenty years. It’s about learning from each other, cross-pollinating audiences, and celebrating the special culture of Auckland live music.”
“Having played in bands here and abroad for decades, you realise the scene only stays healthy if we actively build spaces where younger bands feel seen, backed, and challenged,” adds co-curator Angelo Munro. “Putting this bill together was about recognising authenticity and energy. Every band on this bill brings something undeniable to the table.”
Tickets available 5 October.
Event details:
● Date: Saturday, 5 December 2026
● Venue: Big Fan, 25 McDonald Street, Morningside, Auckland
● Time: 4:00pm – midnight (doors 3:30pm)
● Restrictions: All ages & licensed
● Tickets: Pre-sales $40 + booking fee via Undertheradar (earlybird $35 + BF). Door sales $50.
Set times:
15:30 - Doors
16:00 - Somniium
16:45 - Nailfile
17:30 - King Hit (WLG)
18:15 - Demons of Noon
19:00 - Exit Sign
19:45 - Threat.Meet.Protocol (TGA)
20:30 - Chlorine
21:15 - Sunwraith
22:00 - Erase Everything
22:45 - Back to the Hillside
23:30 - Swallow the Rat
