Today marks the first day of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa 2026, and if the opening day is anything to go by, this year’s NZ Music Month is shaping up to be the most expansive yet. Under the theme Our Sounds, Our Spaces, the month-long celebration shines a light on the artists, communities and environments that bring Aotearoa’s sound to life — and there is a lot to shine a light on.
Things kick off today with Bandcamp Friday, where the platform waives its revenue share and passes funds directly to artists and labels. It’s one of the simplest and most direct ways to support local music, and with a dedicated NZ music merch directory on the NZMM website to help guide purchases ahead of NZ Music T-Shirt Day later in the month, there’s no excuse not to get involved.
Tomorrow, Saturday 2nd May, brings the official launch — the NZ Music Month Summit at The Tuning Fork in Tāmaki Makaurau, bringing together industry professionals and music practitioners to connect, share knowledge and celebrate the sector. Also on Saturday, voting opens for the Aotearoa Music Awards People’s Choice Award, giving fans across the motu the chance to have their say in one of the country’s biggest music celebrations.
The week ahead is just as full. Monday 4th May sees the launch of Tee Me Up!, the annual t-shirt design competition supported by AS Colour and Karousel Printing, inviting artists playing shows in 2026 to submit their merch designs for the chance to win 50 printed tees. Wednesday 6th May brings the inaugural Music Careers Expo in Tāmaki — a free one-day event designed to help rangatahi explore real-world career pathways in the music industry, both on stage and behind the scenes. It’s exactly the kind of initiative NZ Music Month was built to champion.
On the live front, BB & The Bullets hit the road today on a seven-date North Island run, taking their Whanganui blues-rock sound from Whanganui to Waiuku, Warkworth and beyond. Mim Jensen takes her new EP The Muse on the road with headline shows at Auckland’s Whammy Bar on 7th May, Space Academy in Christchurch on 29th May and Pearl Diver in Dunedin on 30th May. Foley bring their Like An Actress EP release tour to Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington, and Shapeshifter’s Soulstice 20th Anniversary Roadie kicks off in the Deep South — building toward their official Auckland date at Steinlager Centre Court Sounds on Halloween.
Elsewhere, Wellington’s Nick Bollinger gives an intimate guided tour of Based on a True Story: The 20th Anniversary Exhibition at Wellington Museum on Saturday 2nd May, Nathan Homestead Pukepuke in Manurewa launches a refreshed music room with live performances from LEAO and Greatsouth, and the New Zealand String Quartet teams up with French-Kiwi fusion act Café Chateaubriant for an evening of art, music and cuisine. There’s even a Make Your Own Mini Banjo workshop at Otago Museum on Saturday for anyone who fancies getting hands-on with it.
For schools, Harvey Norman New Zealand’s NZ Music Month Schools Kura Competition is back — teachers can record a live NZ music performance from their school and email the link to nzmm@nzmusic.org.nz to be in the weekly draw each Thursday.
It’s a month that reminds you just how much is happening across Aotearoa’s music scene at any given moment. Our Sounds, Our Spaces feels like exactly the right theme for it.
For everything on the key releases dropping throughout NZ Music Month, head to our releases roundup.
0 Comments