Split Enz to reform for historic Electric Avenue performance
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
The Electric Avenue music festival will make history in Hagley Park this summer, bringing one of New Zealand’s best-loved bands back together for a special show.
A reformed Split Enz — the cult pop outfit co-founded by Crowded House’s Tim Finn in 1972 — will take to the central Christchurch stage at the end of February, marking their 50th anniversary and almost 20 years since they last performed together.
The sight of the I Got You hitmakers playing Electric Avenue is the realisation of a long-held dream for festival director Callam Mitchell.
“There was a seed that was planted with Neil Finn when we were backstage at a charity event that we ran before Electric Avenue a couple of years ago.”
Mitchell resumed the conversation with Split Enz representatives this year.
“We managed to get in touch with the right people, asked very politely, offered a very respectful fee and somehow it worked.”
The Kiwi legends sit amongst a newly announced “multi-generational” list of acts, including international electronic DJ Dom Dolla — who boasts over a billion streams of his music, a Grammy Award nomination and the headline spot at major festivals including Coachella in the US.
British icons The Streets and Basement Jaxx are also among international acts, as is global pop star Kesha.
Influential electro-rock band Pendulum — credited with bringing drum and bass to the masses — are on the extensive bill, together with Leftfield, Becky Hill, Sammy Virji and Disco Lines. Norwegian electronic innovators Röyksopp and the genre-bending Sudan Archives join them on the line-up.
Split Enz will headline the Friday night of the two-day event, which will run on February 27 and 28, with Dom Dolla at the top of the Saturday night bill.
Two stages will be operating in 2026, ensuring a smooth transition between acts. Due to an expanded site, the organisers are expecting to host a record 45,000 people each day.
Among other prominent New Zealand acts on the line-up are Fazerdaze, Leisure, Drax Project, No Cigar, Kora, Supergroove, festival favourites LAB and Brett McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords and Black Seeds fame.
With 24,000 ticket requests already registered for the pre-sale — and 90% of registrations being for weekend passes — the event is predicted to comfortably sell out.
Mitchell said he was aware of festival fans who had already booked Christchurch accommodation over the event weekend and that 60% of those who have registered for tickets so far are over 25 years old.
Prices for pre-sale weekend passes start at $289.90 plus fees, with an increase of “around the 10% to 15% mark across the board” on last year, Mitchell said, but he pointed out “there’s been a heck of a lot more money spent on the line-up”.
“There’s a lot of production going in with an additional main stage, so we put the money back into the show,” Mitchell said.
Following July’s confirmation that the American-owned multinational Live Nation had acquired Electric Avenue, the full impact of the behemoth production company’s clout would probably not be felt until next year, Mitchell said.
Much of the work to create the 2026 line-up had been completed before the deal was signed.
“They’re definitely providing support in terms of some key sponsorship relationships and other aspects,” Mitchell said, but added: “I think we'll see what Live Nation can bring to the table, more so, in 2027 and beyond”.
He believed the 2026 line-up catered to its broadest audience to date, “hence the tagline of five decades of music in one weekend’”.
“[Split Enz have] got such a big catalogue of music, even the 18/19 year-old kids who would be going for Dom Dolla will know a lot of Split Enz tracks,” Mitchell said.
“I like to think that we have an international flavour, and we’ve got close to 20 international artists, but having Split Enz at the top of the bill there on the Friday night really is flying a big Kiwi flag.”
Electric Avenue ticket pre-sales begin on September 9 with single day passes and general release tickets available from midday on September 12. Information at electricavenuefestival.co.nz.
Full Electric Avenue 2026 Line-Up:
Friday
Headliner: Split Enz
Plus: Becky Hill, Sammy Virji, Basement Jaxx Live, The Streets, L.A.B, Disco Lines, Supergroove, Maverick Sabre, Leisure, Obongjayar, Drax Project, Sudan Archives, Corrella, Frank Booker, Bret McKenzie & The State Highway Wonders, Dick Johnson & Ribera, Frankie Venter, Mim Jensen , Tim Phin, Suune, Pool House, Kennedy, Dream.r
Saturday
Headliner: Dom Dolla
Plus: Pendulum Live, Kesha, Ocean Alley, Royel Otis, Leftfield, Peking Duk, Röyksopp DJ Set, Kora, Jalen Ngonda, Don West, Fazerdaze, Dub FX & Tiki Taane, No Cigar, Flamingo Pier DJ Set, Sin & Brook, Greg Churchill, Pirapus, There’s a Tuesday, Isaac Chambers & Dub Princess, Danica Bryant, Goodwill, Ryan Salt, Pyre & Aragorn, Two Minds, Craiglist