The Godfather Of Punk returns to New Zealand for a rare run of live dates, marking his first shows in the region in years while Australia waits on the sidelines.
by Paul Cashmere
Iggy Pop has brought his restless touring spirit back to New Zealand this week, playing three shows across the country in a brief Southern Hemisphere visit that pointedly excludes Australia. The performances underline Pop’s ongoing commitment to live work well into his late seventies, even as his forward touring calendar remains deliberately sparse.
The New Zealand run began in Taupo on 24 January, before moving to Auckland tonight, 29 January, and concluding in Wanaka on 31 January. After Wanaka, Pop is scheduled to return to the United States, where only three further appearances are currently confirmed for 2026, a Coachella set in April, a Meltdown Festival appearance in July, and a Detroit hometown show in August.
For Australian audiences, the absence is notable. Iggy Pop last toured Australia in 2019, continuing a long and often chaotic relationship with local stages that stretches back to his first visits in the late 1980s. Subsequent Australian tours in 1993, 2006, 2011 and 2013 cemented his reputation as one of rock’s most unpredictable live performers, and his appearances have frequently become part of local rock folklore rather than routine concert memories.
Born James Newell Osterberg Jr. in Michigan in 1947, Pop’s career traces the arc of modern alternative music itself. As the frontman of The Stooges, he helped define proto-punk with albums like The Stooges, Fun House and Raw Power, records that initially struggled commercially but later became foundational texts for punk, post-punk and alternative rock worldwide. His confrontational stage presence, bare-chested performances and willingness to push physical limits reset expectations of what a rock frontman could be.
After the original collapse of The Stooges in the early 1970s, Pop’s career found new direction through a pivotal partnership with David Bowie. Their relocation to Berlin produced The Idiot and Lust For Life in 1977, two albums that expanded Pop’s palette into darker, more experimental territory while delivering enduring songs such as The Passenger, Lust For Life and Nightclubbing. Those records continue to anchor his live sets nearly five decades later.
The Taupo performance on 24 January reflected that long arc, drawing heavily from the Stooges catalogue while threading in solo material from across Pop’s career. The set opened with T.V. Eye from Fun House and moved through Raw Power-era staples including Raw Power, Gimme Danger, Death Trip and Search And Destroy. Solo highlights followed, with The Passenger and Lust For Life drawing some of the night’s strongest responses, alongside later-period material such as Frenzy from Every Loser, Pop’s 2023 album produced by Andrew Watt.
The inclusion of Apocalypse paired with Nightclubbing from The Idiot, and Funtime from the same record, underscored the continued relevance of his Berlin-era work, while covers such as Real Wild Child and Louie Louie nodded to Pop’s long-standing interest in rock’s primal roots. Closing with I Wanna Be Your Dog reaffirmed the centrality of The Stooges to his live identity, even decades after the band’s final chapter closed.
Pop’s influence remains difficult to overstate. From punk and grunge through industrial, electronic and alternative rock, his imprint can be heard in artists as diverse as Nirvana, Joy Division, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. Recognition has followed, including induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with The Stooges in 2010 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Yet Pop’s appeal has never rested on honours, but on his ability to remain vital, unpredictable and relevant on stage.
For now, New Zealand audiences have the rare opportunity to witness that legacy in close quarters. Australian fans, meanwhile, are left watching from across the Tasman, waiting to see when, or if, Iggy Pop decides to return.
Iggy Pop New Zealand Tour Dates 2026
24 January, Taupo
29 January, Auckland
31 January, Wanaka
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