Auckland music venue where Lorde played her first ticketed show up for sale

Sunday, 29 March 2026

The 28-year-old singer spoke about about birth control, eating disorders and gender identity in an interview with ZDF.

The Auckland venue where Lorde played her first-ever ticketed gig is up for sale for the first time in 15 years.

Galatos, just off Karangahape Rd, was originally home to the United Ancient Order of Druids, before becoming a dance hall and function centre.

Built in 1908, the building is best known for its life as a music venue since the late 1990s, during which it has hosted a wide range of local and international acts.

The roster of those who have graced its stage includes Coldplay, the Foo Fighters, Diplo, and the Stereophonics.

Galatos, which is named after the street it sits on, has been run by Andrea Clark and Dean Whaitiri since 2012, during which it has held a prominent place as part of Auckland’s live music scene.

Clark, who is retiring, told NZ Musician Magazine in 2021 that she took over the venue because her musician husband had always wanted to own one.

One of the most famous shows held at the venue during Clark and Whaitiri’s tenure was a show by Lorde in 2013. This was the first time the then 16-year-old had played to a paying audience, with the show selling out within minutes.

Galatos was where Lorde played her first public gig in 2013.

The show was hot on the heels of the singer’s debut EP, The Love Club, which was riding high in the charts thanks to the single Royals, a song that would eventually land Lorde two Grammy awards in 2014.

Other New Zealand acts to have played at Galatos over the years include The Chills, Tiny Ruins, Alien Weaponry, and David Dallas.

Now for sale, the building is being described as a “rare, vacant possession, character opportunity” for investors targeting Auckland’s urban intensification.

Lorde performs during the Glastonbury Festival in 2025.

“This iconic standalone structure offers a versatile blank canvas for hospitality visionaries, creative converters, or strategic developers,” real estate agent Barfoot & Thompson said in its listing for the property.

The building comprises three levels and is zoned for the city centre, ensuring significant future-proofing with a development height potential of 31 to 36 metres.

It is available with vacant possession (and optional business assets) and, in 2024, had a capital value of $1.725 million.

Karangahape Road has a host of music venues.

The building is within a short stroll from the soon-to-be-opening Karanga-a-Hape Station, and is in an area that sits at the heart of Auckland’s music scene around Karangahape Rd.

Other music venues nearby include The Studio, Whammy Bar, Double Whammy, and Neck of The Woods.

The sale deadline is March 31, with no word yet on whether the building will remain a music venue going forward.

Auckland has seen several music venues close in recent years, including the Kings Arms and Golden Dawn in 2018, the Logan Campbell Centre in 2021, and the Wine Cellar in 2024.

The St James Theatre has been closed since 2016 and is currently undergoing a restoration project, with plans to reopen in 2028.