At Music and Gigs, we talk a lot about the music. The artists, the shows, the moments that make live music what it is. But the industry that makes all of that possible — the promoters, the lighting operators, the photographers, the door staff — needs people too, and those people have to start somewhere. New Fans, the brand new initiative from Tāmaki Makaurau’s not-for-profit music hub BIG FAN, is one of the most exciting things we’ve seen come out of the local scene in a while, because it’s doing exactly that.
Launching with its first show on Friday 12 June, New Fans is a bi-monthly, all-ages live music series designed entirely around rangatahi aged 25 and under. The concept is simple and smart: paid opportunities across every level of live music delivery — performers, promoters, lighting operators, photographers, door staff — with each show curated and delivered by a different young promoter working alongside the BIG FAN team. Tickets are $10. The environment is all-ages. The lineups are chosen by rangatahi themselves.
“If we want a sustainable music ecosystem in Aotearoa, we need to invest in how audiences are formed, and in the pathways for rangatahi to be part of the industry,” says BIG FAN General Manager Savina Fountain. “New Fans is about re-establishing those entry points so rangatahi can engage with live music early, not just as audiences, but as the people putting on and working behind the shows.”
That vision — of young people not just attending gigs but actively building them — is what makes this more than just another concert series. It’s a pipeline. A room full of rangatahi learning what it actually takes to put on a show is a room full of the next generation of Aotearoa’s music industry, and BIG FAN, with its three world-class recording studios and live venue all under one roof in Morningside, is exactly the right place to be doing it.
Shows will run in June, August, October and December throughout 2026. Expressions of Interest open today, Tuesday 21 April, at 10am, with the promoter EOI closing on Tuesday 5 May at 10pm. Rolling expressions of interest for artists and crew will remain open. Selected promoters for the first round will be notified by Friday 8 May. The initiative is made possible by BIG FAN and Auckland Council.
If you’re a rangatahi based in Tāmaki Makaurau, aged 25 and under, and a New Zealand citizen or resident — this one’s for you.
Apply and find out more → www.bigfan.co.nz
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