New Zealand music legends Split Enz are reforming for an exclusive Electric Avenue performance in what is being billed as one of the biggest music weekends in Australasian history.
The news broke today as the 2026 line-up for Electric Avenue at Christchurch’s Hagley Park was revealed.
Split Enz’s reformation marks their 50th anniversary and nearly 20 years since their last show.
“This is the most historic booking we’ve ever made, it goes far beyond ‘just another headliner’,” festival director Callam Mitchell said.
“It’s going to be a cultural landmark event of epic proportions.”
International electronic superstar Dom Dolla, who has been commanding main stages at Coachella, Creamfields and Lollapalooza in 2025, will also headline the two-day event which will be held on February 27 -28 next year.
“On the numbers, Dom Dolla is arguably the hottest DJ on the planet at the moment and he’s now a stadium artist in many territories around the world,” Mitchell said.
The 50-plus act line-up includes pop icon Kesha, drum and bass pioneers Pendulum, United Kingdom cult band The Streets, British dance music royalty Basement Jaxx and Leftfield, UK chart-topper Becky Hill, and two breakout stars from Coachella this year – Sammy Virji and Disco Lines.
Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp and genre-bending Sudan Archives are also on the bill.
Pendulum, who helped bring drum and bass into the mainstream nearly 20 years ago, will perform with their full live band.
The Australian group has just released its first album in 15 years, drawing widespread acclaim.
Basement Jaxx will bring their chaotic live show, complete with dancers, vocalists, percussionists and dancing gorillas.
“Their stage show is a chaotic carnival of colour and is the first time in many years the full live performance has been back on the road globally,” Mitchell said.
Thanks to an expanded site and a second main outdoor stage, the festival is expected to host a record 45,000 people a day.
Friday’s line-up includes Split Enz, Becky Hill, Sammy Virji, Basement Jaxx Live, The Streets, L.A.B, Disco Lines, Supergroove, Maverick Sabre, Leisure, Obongjayar, Drax Project, Sudan Archives, Corrella, Frank Booker, Brett McKenzie and The State Highway Wonders, Dick Johnson and Ribera, Frankie Venter, Mim Jensen, Tim Phin, Suune, Pool House, Kennedy, and Dreamr.
Saturday’s program is led by Dom Dolla, with Pendulum Live, Kesha, Ocean Alley, Royel Otis, Leftfield, Peking Duk, Röyksopp DJ Set, Kora, Jalen Ngonda, Don West, Fazerdaze, Dub FX & Tiki Taane, No Cigar, Flamingo Pier DJ Set, Sin and Brook, Greg Churchill, Pirapus, There’s a Tuesday, Isaac Chambers and Dub Princess, Danica Bryant, Goodwill, Ryan Salt, Pyre and Aragorn, Two Minds, and Craiglist.
Australians dominate Saturday’s line-up in a trans-Tasman blitz, including Dom Dolla, Pendulum, Royel Otis, Peking Duk, Ocean Alley and Don West.
Peking Duk returns by popular demand after being one of the most requested artists in Electric Avenue’s 2025 post-festival survey.
The 2026 line-up also highlights female musical power, Mitchell said.
“Kesha’s Australian tour has massively blown up, selling out major capital city arenas in a matter of weeks.”
Kesha has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with hits like Tik Tok reaching number one globally.
Becky Hill, who has built a strong fanbase in New Zealand over the years, will perform exclusively at Electric Avenue.
Mitchell said festival-goers will also enjoy sets from Jalen Ngonda, hailed as the modern-day Marvin Gaye, along with Maverick Sabre, Obongjayar, Sudan Archives and The Streets.
“For those who don’t know these names, discovering them at Electric Avenue will be the spark that creates lifelong fandoms,” he said.
Homegrown talent remains central to the festival, with Kiwi acts Fazerdaze, Leisure, Drax Project, No Cigar, Kora, Supergroove and L.A.B. anchoring the local line-up, alongside Brett McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords and Black Seeds fame.
“Next year will truly be multi-generational – there are legends from the 70s and 80s, 90s and 2000s, mixed with many of today’s most relevant international artists,” Mitchell said.
The One NZ presale starts at 12pm on Tuesday, September 9, followed by the Electric Avenue presale at 12pm on Wednesday, September 10.
General release tickets, including single-day passes, open at 12pm Friday.