Music and art festival Splore, established in 1998, will return to Tāpapakanga Regional Park, Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, next year.

Set for February 20-22, Splore 2026 promises an immersive, three-day celebration of music, art, community and wellbeing.

With fresh programming, new creative spaces and curated experiences – including ready-made tent villages – Splore is evolving with the chnaging live event landscape.

The needed break

Taking a break in 2025 has given our community relief from financial pressures and allowed the land to benefit from a fallow year, says Splore Festival director John Minty.

It has also given the Splore team the opportunity to recalibrate in the face of rising costs, shifting audience habits and a turbulent events landscape both here and abroad, he adds.

“Festivals everywhere are under pressure, but Splore’s story is one of adaptation. We took a breath so we could build a future. Strengthen the foundations, tend to our roots.”

That future includes a consolidated and reshaped experience for festivalgoers – one that honours its heritage, acknowledges how people are attending differently post-COVID, and meets them there, says Minty.

Meeting them where they are

From new music programming and artist development to smarter camping options and greater accessibility, Minty says 2026 will offer a curated escape with deep connection, creativity and care at its heart.

In addition, flexible payment plans offered by Splore and iTICKET offer festivalgoers the option to pay off their tickets over time on their terms.

“Our longstanding partnership with Splore isn’t just a collaboration, it’s a testament to both our organisations obsessing over what our customers truly need and keeping our finger firmly on the pulse of the ever-evolving festival scene,” says Reece Preston, managing director of iTICKET.

“As proud, 100% Kiwi-owned and operated businesses, we’re thrilled to have developed our incredibly flexible and super affordable new PayPlan feature.

“We built this in-house with direct input from the Splore team, ensuring it genuinely serves our community. Splorers can pay their way with dynamically calculated weekly, fortnightly, or monthly instalments, spreading the cost and ensuring they never miss out on this summer’s ultimate festival,” Preston adds.