Ultra festival ‘a pinch yourself moment’
Sunday, 12 April 2026
REVIEW: It’s close to midnight on Friday and a policewoman stands on the steps of the VIP stand at the Ultra festival, videoing The Chainsmokers as she dances on the spot.
The main stage towers about three storeys high over Waitangi Park - the largest, tallest stage Wellington has ever seen - and it’s ablaze with LED screens, dazzling crimson and pink lights and pyrotechnic displays. One half of The Chainsmokers duo, Andrew Taggart, leans down towards the crowd and sings the incredible, powerful song, Closer.
It’s a pinch yourself moment seeing a song I’ve thrashed on Spotify being performed live in Wellington. The Chainsmokers are here, and it’s an electric moment for our city which has been through a lot.
At the inaugural Ultra festival, international DJs and EDM artists, some of whom who have never been to New Zealand before, are belting out their songs and spinning decks along our waterfront. It feels like we’re in a giant outdoor rave, under a star-pricked sky.
In pictures: Electric atmosphere as crowds swell at Ultra
The energy is electric. Festoon lights drape over the park, the waterfront, and walkways. All 23,000 of us - along with the teens listening for free outside, along the fence line - are hyped and excited.
For all that Wellington has been through, this feels like it’s our night. Even if you don’t particularly love EDM (electronic dance music), the vibe of just simply being here is uplifting. Forget the Homegrown festival escaping for Waikato - we’ve lured a Miami-born, European-style global music festival to our city. Homegrown had two stages; Ultra has four, on a much grander scale. If Wellington can get its revenge for the loss of Homegrown, tonight is the night.
The big drawcard for me, and many of us, is The Chainsmokers. I’ve listened to them for the past decade, since the electronic DJ and production duo released its hit, Good intentions. In another song, Taggart leans down as the stage lights up red, and their incredible song, Don’t Let Me Down, plays as the crowd goes wild. Paris is next, sung by Taggart, and an audience of ravers dance and jump, phones flashing like fireflies.
They perform Closer twice, and the second time, Taggart pauses from singing, allowing the crowd to fill in the lyrics. A woman dancing beside me, out for the night away from her toddler, sings and shouts along. “It’s so incredible, so awesome,’’ she tells me.
The Chainsmokers bridge EDM and pop. Twice before a beat drop, the music stops - not sure if the DJ/producer Alex Pall accidentally hits the wrong button, but who cares: they’re in Wellington, they’ve sung the songs I love, and we’re a forgiving audience.
Oliver Hedlens is another star of the night. My 23-year-old daughter is in the mosh, with her flatmate who loves Hedlens, and also the Grammy-awarding DJ and producer, Zedd, who draws from a huge catalogue of chart-topping hits. Zedd’s Clarity is exhilarating and emotive, and his whole set proves he’s still one of the most dynamic artists in electronic music today.
I spend most of my time at the main stage. Another spectacle is the Ultra FM Stage, three stands shaped in a horseshoe around the stage so you can see Paul Harding, of Pendulum, playing a DJ set. He’s from Perth and he’s going for it. Ultra is a festival where DJs release new material.
I’m so happy, and hyped, for Wellington. You don’t get these huge stages and theatrical experiences unless there’s big money behind it, and a global brand with production targets and expectations. You don’t get The Chainsmokers to fly in in private jets, or DJ Snake, who has come from Paris. “I love you New Zealand,’’ he says, waving an Ultra New Zealand flag around.
The event is superbly organised too, with lanes for entry and exits to each stage area, so you’re not bumping into people going the other way. There are plenty of food trucks, and the bar queues aren’t too long (shame they ran out of Mumm though). At the end of the night, fireworks erupt, spreading a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues across a perfectly still sky.
Beth Brash, the Wellington on a Plate director, raved all night, and she’s still raving about Ultra.
She knows what it takes to put on an event like Ultra, and she describes it as flawless, pointing out the huge energy and logistics which go into organizing something like this. “Everyone was in such a good mood. The stages were insane - it was such spectacle. Everyone was friendly and I made so many new friends.’’
Let’s relish the fact that Wellington was chosen to host. Ultra could have gone anywhere and thanks Mitch Lowe (who left for Ultra Melbourne the next day) and his Audiology Touring for choosing us. Tickets sold out quickly so the only question is this: could Ultra New Zealand be even bigger next year?