Ultra Music Festival to host debut New Zealand edition in 2026

Ultra Music Festival will host its debut edition in New Zealand next year. According to a report on the Wellington City Council website, the one-day event will take place on Saturday 10th April at a waterside location in the capital. While no official announcement has come from the global festival brand at the time of writing, an announcement expected next Wednesday 10th December. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 17th December. According to local media reports, the inaugural Aotearoa instalment will run with a capacity of 20,000 and is being organised through a partnership between Ultra Worldwide, WellingtonNZ, and New Zealand promoter Audiology Touring. News hit amidst a flurry of festival headlines following a $4.5 million NZD investment by the New Zealand Events Association in a bid to drive economic growth through domestic spending. “Securing the rights to Ultra Music Festival for such an iconic venue in Wellington is a dream come true. After 17 years of delivering hundreds of shows across Aotearoa, Audiology Touring sees this partnership as the pinnacle of our journey,” said Mitch Lowe, Audiology Touring Founder. “In April, the city will be transformed into an international celebration that puts our capital on the world festival map. People travel far and wide to attend Ultra and we’re excited to show international visitors what the country has to offer, all whilst giving our prized locals something to be proud of.” “Having an event on the scale and renown as the Ultra Festival in Wellington will be a huge boost for the local economy, injecting new energy into the CBD and drawing thousands of people from around New Zealand and abroad,” added Wellington mayor Andrew Little. “It’s time to remind people of Wellington’s place as the live entertainment capital of Aotearoa, so it’s exciting to see an event of this size here in Wellington for the next few years.” Earlier this year, DJ Mag spent 24 hours with Armin van Buuren at the flagship Ultra Music Festival in Miami. You can watch the video here. Ultra Miami was voted No. 2 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 Festivals poll this year. Revisit our on-the-ground coverage of the event here. Ultra returns to Miami in 2026. See the line-up so far here.