If you needed a reason to start planning your February escape, here it is: Splore Festival 2026 has just levelled up. The iconic three-day beachside celebration returns to Tāpapakanga Regional Park, just outside Tāmaki Makaurau, on the 20-22 February 2026 and this second drop of the music lineup is giving. Bold, diverse, glitter-drenched and creatively charged Splore continues to prove why it’s not just a festival, it’s a full-blown lifestyle reset.
The big reveal? This year’s theme: BEINGS. It’s simple, profound and quietly powerful. It’s about existing, showing up exactly as you are, or as something wildly other. Sequinned or soul-searching, barefoot or in full-body glitter, Splore says come as your messy, magical self. This theme isn’t just a dress code, it’s a permission slip.
Festival producer Fryderyk Kublikowski captures the energy perfectly: “Splore is a full spectrum of beings in every state of being… be bright, be soft, be sun-kissed, be sequinned. Be silly, be soulful, be seen. Mostly, be here.” And honestly, what else is there?
Musically, the new additions keep the standard sky-high. Aotearoa legend Coco Solid returns to stage with CoconutClouds, bringing a deliciously queer, culturally-rooted storytelling experience that feels both nostalgic and future-facing. Meanwhile, hometown hero JessB is back with a re-release of her breakout mixtape and some fierce extras, like a dancehall collab with Roze Don and a remix crafted by HalfQueen and Pasquinel that throws Baltimore club into the mix. It’s sweaty, it’s sharp, and it’s going to slap live.
On the international front, welcome Mind Enterprises, Italy’s mildly ironic, wildly danceable answer to Daft Punk. They’re bringing peak Italo Disco revival energy, and honestly, we’re ready to spiral into a strobe-lit fever dream.
Add in Parson James, whose voice and backstory are equally compelling (you’ve definitely cried to Stole the Show with Kygo), plus the return of The Beatles Dub Club, and the intergalactic fabulousness of The Illustrious Blacks, and you’ve got a party that’s equal parts euphoric and emotionally resonant.
And let’s not forget the heavy local hitters, punk misfits Dick Move, dancefloor shakers like BBYFACEKILLA b2b Snakelegs, Arcadia, Love Language, and all the beat-lovers repping everything from deep house to sweaty drum and bass. It’s a multi-genre kaleidoscope, and somehow, it all fits together perfectly under Splore’s inclusive, sun-soaked umbrella.
This isn’t a fest that plays it safe or bows to algorithms. Splore is still proudly independent, and it shows. With rising costs and global fests leaning more and more into manufactured virality, Splore’s commitment to “craft over churn, experience over hype” is refreshing, and rare. The production still slaps, the setting is pure magic, and the vibes are unbeatable.
Let’s be real,“costs are up and the times are tight,” as Kublikowski puts it, “but our promise stays bright.” Splore isn’t chasing hype or stream-bait, it’s staying fiercely independent, soul-first, and unashamedly Aotearoa. “Your support lets us champion the talent, artistry and unique culture of Aotearoa,” he adds.
So, are you in?