New Zealand’s Whitianga Concert With ZZ Top, Stone Temple Pilots, Pat Benatar Cancelled

ZZ Top will return to European stages next June and July with The Big One! Tour, a five-week run across thirteen countries. This will be their first full European tour in two years, marking a major moment for the Texas trio who have remained active through more than five decades of touring, recording, and reinvention. The run begins on 22 June in Tartu, Estonia, with the band set to deliver twenty-three concerts across arenas, festivals, and open-air venues, including a Spanish bullring in Murcia.

Linkin Park will return to Australia in March 2026 with the From Zero World Tour, marking their long-awaited first local shows since 2013. The renewed line-up, featuring Mike Shinoda, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, Joe Hahn, Emily Armstrong, and Colin Brittain, will deliver six major arena dates across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, bringing a new chapter of the band's history to Australian fans.

Metallica closed their Australia and New Zealand tour in Auckland with a moment created only for local fans. The final night delivered the expected firepower across a career spanning setlist, yet the highlight arrived when Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett delivered their tour-tradition Doodle. This version was built around the Split Enz classic I Got You, paired with Six60's anthem Don't Forget Your Roots. The Doodle placed two of New Zealand's most important songs into the middle of Metallica's global production, creating a rare cultural crossover in front of a sold out crowd.

Sanguisugabogg, the Ohio death metal force known for their graphic theatrics and uncompromising sound, will return to Australia in June 2026, with Oklahoma's PeelingFlesh joining them for their first run of shows on local soil. The tour follows Sanguisugabogg's chaotic 2024 Australian debut, which left audiences talking about the band's notorious tradition of launching a football into the pit with the promise of a prize for the last fan standing. The group will bring a new set built around their 2025 album Hideous Aftermath, which has become a defining benchmark for modern death metal.

The Beta Band will tour Australia for the first time in 2026, a moment indie fans have awaited for almost three decades. The Scottish innovators will visit Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Fremantle, bringing their influential 1998 release The Three E.P.'s to life, along with key tracks from their catalogue. The tour follows a surprise reunion that has already filled theatres in the United States and the United Kingdom, proving the group's legacy retains powerful momentum.

Three time GRAMMY Award winner Fantastic Negrito will make his long awaited return to Australia in March 2026, bringing a run of headline dates and festival shows that promise powerful performances and bold storytelling. The tour will see the American artist share songs from across his remarkable career, including his 2024 album Son Of A Broken Man.

Grammy winner Judith Hill will tour Australia in May 2026 as she brings her latest album, Letters From A Black Widow, to life for local audiences. The shows will showcase her signature mix of soul, funk and gospel, delivered with the emotional depth that has defined her career. Hill released the album in 2024 and marked a new chapter for the Los Angeles artist, who continues to build on a remarkable legacy shaped by collaboration, resilience and reinvention.