Rowena Wise Announces First New Zealand Solo Tour, Supporting Upcoming Album
Rowena Wise, the Australian singer‑songwriter known for her emotionally direct lyricism, will finally take her intimate solo shows to New Zealand this spring. A press release announced a five‑date run from 24 September to 3 October that will promote her forthcoming second album, Bad Things Feel Good.
Growing up in Western Australia and now based in Naarm, Wise built her reputation with the 2024 debut Senseless Acts of Beauty, which earned a shortlist spot for the Australian Music Prize and praise from Mixdown and CLASH Magazine for its lyrical depth and meticulous production.
Bad Things Feel Good is slated for release on 7 August 2026. The ten‑song cycle tackles “emotional fault lines of love, identity and mental health,” according to Wise’s official statements. Its lead single, “Diamond In The Rough,” dropped in May and exposes the pressure of contemporary life.
The New Zealand tour dates are: - 24 September – The Turner Centre, Kerikeri - 25 September – Auckland Old Folks Association, Auckland - 26 September – The Yard Café & Venue, Raglan - 27 September – Dawn, Ōakura - 3 October – Vogelmorn Upstairs, Wellington
Tickets can be purchased through UTR and rowenawise.com, where a pre‑order link for the album is also available. Merchandise, including copies of Bad Things Feel Good, will be sold at each venue. The tour is presented by The Slack Agency, Beloved Records and Remote Control Records.
Wise’s career has spanned extensive tours across Australia, the UK, Europe, the USA and Canada, and she has supported acts such as Folk Bitch Trio, Holy Holy, Ball Park Music, Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey. Since her debut in 2018, she has accumulated over 10 million streams and received airplay on Triple J, Double J and Unearthed.
The press release highlighted that Wise’s live performances are marked by a “rare kind of clarity – tender, point‑blank, and unafraid of the quietest truths.” The New Zealand run will feature a mix of fan favorites from Senseless Acts of Beauty and new material from Bad Things Feel Good.
An all‑voice‑and‑guitar format underscores Wise’s songwriting ethos, balancing beauty and mess with emotional precision. The album’s release and accompanying tour are expected to expand her audience across the Pacific.
As of the announcement, Wise’s next steps are the 7 August album drop and the completion of the New Zealand tour. Ticket sales and merchandise distribution are underway through the partners listed.
This tour marks Wise’s first visit to New Zealand, a milestone that offers fans in the region a chance to experience her music live.
