Cat Power to Return to New Zealand for Two Shows in November 2026

Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, will headline two intimate concerts in New Zealand at the end of November. The singer‑songwriter will take the stage at Auckland’s Bruce Mason Centre on Thursday, 26 November, and at Wellington’s Opera House the following day, 27 November. Both shows will open with a set from Lawrence Arabia, the musical project of Christchurch‑born singer‑songwriter James Milne.

The tour marks Marshall’s first visit to the country since 2014. Fans will hear her 2006 album The Greatest performed in its entirety, followed by selections from her catalogue of seven studio albums. The Memphis‑recorded album reached No. 34 on the Billboard 200, earned Marshall the Shortlist Music Prize, and was named the 26th best album of the decade by Rolling Stone.

Tickets are being sold exclusively through Banished Music. A presale opens at 9:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, 17 June, and a general public sale follows at the same time on Friday, 19 June. Both transactions occur on the Banished Music website.

Auckland’s Bruce Mason Centre, located in Takapuna, seats 1,600 and is a regular venue for concerts and cultural events. Wellington’s Opera House, a historic theatre, has hosted a wide range of music and performing‑arts shows and is equipped with modern sound and lighting systems suitable for both intimate and full‑band performances.

Lawrence Arabia, whose real name is James Milne, is a New Zealand artist celebrated for his blend of indie‑pop, chamber‑pop and psychedelic influences. Milne has released several critically acclaimed albums, earned an APRA Silver Scroll for “Apple Pie Bed,” and received the inaugural Taite Music Prize. His touring history spans New Zealand, Europe and North America, and he has shared stages with Feist, Beach House, Crowded House and Flight of the Conchords.

Marshall’s career began in the early 1990s in Atlanta, where she released Dear Sir (1995) and Myra Lee (1996) with collaborators Steve Shelley and Tim Foljahn. After signing with Matador Records in 1996, she released a series of albums that explored punk, folk, blues and soul. The Greatest represented a departure from her earlier work, featuring a full band and a more polished production style.

The November shows provide New Zealand audiences with a rare opportunity to experience The Greatest live in its complete form. The tour is organized by Banished Music, a ticketing and promotion company that has handled events for a range of independent artists.

Tickets for the Auckland and Wellington concerts will become available on 17 June for the presale and on 19 June for the general public. The shows are scheduled for 26 and 27 November, respectively, and are expected to attract listeners who have followed Marshall’s work since the 1990s and who want to hear her acclaimed 2006 album performed live.

These concerts fit into a broader pattern of established artists returning to markets where they have previously performed, underscoring the continued relevance of The Greatest in contemporary music discussions.

For further information and to purchase tickets, visit the Banished Music website.