Homegrown Festival is bidding farewell to Wellington from 2026.
Organisers confirmed in a post to social media that the two-day festival in March would be the last time Homegrown was held on the Wellington waterfront, and would move cities in 2026.
Festival director Andrew Tuck said it was moving for a “myriad of reasons”.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for the unwavering support we’ve had from fans and the city.
“The support from WellingtonNZ and Wellington City Council has been massive over the years so we’re keen to knock this last one out of the park as a heartfelt thank you to Wellington,” he said.
Homegrown spokesperson Fiona Weizman told 1News organisers were “still in the process of working through a new location for the festival”.
“We’re excited about the possibilities and will be announcing this news in the near future,” she said.
Since its inception in 2008, the festival has grown over the years from 10,000 to 23,000 fans able to watch live acts across five stages on Wellington’s waterfront.
“One of our favourite things about the waterfront is seeing the general public and tourists from the cruise ships wandering wide eyed through the festival crowd; it’s gold and adds a whole other dynamic to the festival,” said Tuck.
Organisers said an extra night has been added to this year’s event on Friday, March 14. This night would feature acts including Che Fu, Lee Mvtthews, and Stan Walker, before finishing off with Synthony, where the biggest dance tracks were reimagined with a full live orchestra and light show.
More than 50 acts would play on March 15 including; Shapeshifter, Shihad, Sir Dave Dobbyn, Kaylee Bell, Nesian Mystik, Alien Weaponry, The Black Seeds, Mitch James, Katchafire, I Am Giant, The Beths, Elemeno P, The Beths, SWIDT, Aaradhna, Kings and Drax Project.
Wellington rock legends Shihad will also be playing their final gig at the event.
WellingtonNZ events and experiences general manager Heidi Morton said the city had a wealth of memories from the festival.
“Homegrown has been a summer staple that was always highly anticipated by New Zealand music fans. We are very proud to have supported the event as it has evolved over its almost two-decade journey in the capital,” she said.
