UK comedians Bill Bailey and Jimmy Carr are among those touring Aotearoa but bypassing Northland.
When UK comedian Bill Bailey toured New Zealand in October and November, his itinerary included Invercargill, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth and Palmerston North. Even tiny Oamaru got a visit, alongside Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
UK comedian Jimmy Carr will do a similar tour when he visits this month, with 24 shows from Invercargill to Auckland before heading to Australia.
Neither considered Northland worth visiting.
The same is true for Menopause the Musical, which in March and April will visit 16 towns including Ashburton, Gisborne and Gore, but neither Whangārei nor Kerikeri.
Other so-called national tours – such as 7 Days Live, and musicians The Beths and The Datsuns – also bypassed the region.
Paul Linton, chief executive of Northland Inc, says missing out on these acts is a lost opportunity to draw visitors, stimulate domestic spend and bring vibrancy.
“When acts are already in the country, it makes sense for promoters to look north – and for Northland to make it easy for them to do that.”
To attract such shows, the region needs a bigger theatre, says Sandra Roberts, the publicist for Menopause the Musical.
The 340 seats in Forum North’s Capitaine Bougainville Theatre are simply not enough to cover the costs of bringing the show north, she says.
“People are surprised how much it costs to put on the shows.”
Roberts thought to make a trip north viable for entertainers, a theatre of at least 700 seats is needed in Whangārei, with the possibility of adding on a visit to Kerikeri’s 400-seat Turner Centre.
But Louise Hunter of Bohm Presents says even 700–850 seats would be inadequate to attract the likes of comedians Bill Bailey and Jimmy Carr to Northland, meaning a lyric theatre planned for Forum North would still be too small.
“One-thousand-plus would be a much better size. They really need to consult with promoters before they go ahead and build something that is still not big enough.”
Whangārei District Council is investigating possibilities for the Forum North complex as part of the Knowledge Precinct Plan, with a new theatre being a key part.
Forum North Trust secretary Alan Palmer says investigations will help finalise plans and nail down costs, with estimates currently varying widely from $25 million to $60m.
Capacity will also be decided according to costs, with Palmer favouring 850 seats and saying anything more than 900 is unlikely to be viable.
A lyric theatre has been on the cards for more than 40 years and was always meant to go into Forum North, where the current theatre is restricted in both capacity and stage size, he says.
The trust is backed by a bequest from a local philanthropist, including a $1m donation if the new theatre is started by mid-2027. The council has also allocated $7.26m in its 10-year Long Term Plan.
But Palmer also has his eye on $11.7m budgeted by the council for upgrades to Forum North, hoping that recent changes to earthquake requirements in Northland mean this funding is not needed elsewhere.
The council says it is too early to say if this will be the case, as the impact of the new rules is still being analysed.
Linton adds accommodation is another priority for Whangārei to help attract more large-scale events.
“Developments such as Ōruku Landing would make a meaningful difference in terms of rooms, event infrastructure and assurance for demand, to stimulate further investment into accommodation.”
Ōruku Landing initially included a 750-seat theatre alongside its hotel and conference centre but this was taken out of a pared-back proposal in 2022.
Hihiaua Cultural Centre is also planning a new events space with 470sq m indoor performance space and a stage which can be opened to an outdoor amphitheatre, allowing multi-use.
But trust chairman Ryan Welsh believes an indoor theatre with at least 700 seats is just not financially viable for the amount of use it will get in Northland, with Hihiaua instead favouring something community groups can afford to hire.
While Whangārei struggles to attract national touring theatre productions and conferences, it excels in hosting outdoor and large-scale sporting events, says Bea Mossop, Whangārei District Council’s manager - venues and events.
“Recent successes include hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the Wahine Toa World Title international boxing match, Masters Hockey, Māori All Blacks versus Scotland/Black Ferns double header, and the International Rally of Whangarei.”
Linton adds to that list with Savour Northland, the Bay of Islands Music Festival, Fringe Fest and the Maritime Festival - all done with existing infrastructure.
Food and beverage festival Savour Northland involved 54 events in October, selling 2400 dishes, with 20% of guests being from outside the region, he says.
Upcoming events include the Davis Cup match in February and the Black Ferns’ test match against France in October 2026.
Another large event coming to Northland is Kingston Calling, which will see UB40 featuring Ali Campbell play at Semenoff Stadium with Kiwi bands Katchafire, The Black Seeds and Corrella.
Promoter Toby Burrows from Fabrik hopes to make it an annual event, and says it is up to Northland to buy tickets for the event that was years in the planning.
Costs run into the millions to put on events like this, and 6000 to 10,000 tickets need to be sold to make it worthwhile, he says.
Government funding can help to take the risk off promoters, Burrows says.
Linton says Northland Inc works closely with central government to facilitate funding, like the Regional Events Fund and the Regional Events Promotion Fund, while Whangārei District Council also bids for events.
Turner Centre chief executive Gerry Paul believes Northland can attract touring artists with its unique accommodation, activities like the hole in the rock cruise and other attractions.
“We have to lean into some of that manaakitanga. If we get famous for that, people will come up for that, rather than commercial numbers ... We need to get creative!”
Given Kerikeri’s population is less than 10,000, the Turner Centre already punches above its weight in hosting events.
Paul says along with proactively contacting promoters, agents and artists directly, he works with Whangārei’s Forum North and OneOneSix so performances can be held on consecutive nights.
“We are really lucky that we do have a great selection of events to choose from. We to need to get out and support them when they come.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.