Going Global Music Summit has named 23 showcasing artists for its 2026 Auckland programme, giving the city's independent music scene a new export-focused August milestone. Independent Music New Zealand, working with the New Zealand Music Commission, announced the lineup on 27 July. The showcases will run across two nights, Thursday 27 August and Friday 28 August, at Whammy! and Double Whammy! on Karangahape Road as part of the wider summit based at Q Theatre.
The lineup was selected from more than 190 applications and spans electronic music, hyperpop, alt rock, country pop, Pacific psychedelia, R&B, hip hop, indie, soul and post-punk. Auckland artists and acts named in the announcement include Ardon England, Awning, Frank On Tap, Greatsouth, Hun Lynch, Keith Pereira, LEAO, Mainard Larkin, Mokomokai, Paige, Ray Leslie, SKILAA, Sola Rosa, Tusekah, Tyran and Where's Jai. The national list also includes artists from Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Northland and Wanaka, making the Auckland showcases a local event with wider Aotearoa reach.
Each selected artist is expected to perform a focused 20-minute set for international delegates, local industry professionals and public audiences. That format is built for discovery rather than long-form concert touring. For artists, a sharp showcase can put a song, live identity and management story in front of festival programmers, agents, labels, publishers and media who might otherwise never encounter them. For audiences, the draw is density: many acts, multiple genres and a chance to see artists before international attention reshapes their calendars.
IMNZ chair Pippa Ryan-Kidd said the artists and their teams are ready to take part in conference opportunities and that organisers are looking forward to seeing what results emerge. The history gives that confidence some weight. The announcement says Going Global has welcomed more than 260 international delegates since 2011 and provided a platform for 238 showcasing artists. Previous showcase names cited by organisers include Aldous Harding, Tami Neilson, Holly Arrowsmith, Tiny Ruins, Troy Kingi, Sachi, Alien Weaponry, Fazerdaze and Nadia Reid. The 2025 summit also produced a concrete example, with Auckland band Ringlets connecting with representatives from The Great Escape before securing a 2026 UK festival opportunity.
The local venue mix is useful. Q Theatre gives the summit a central conference base, while Whammy! and Double Whammy! place the live showcases inside one of Auckland's most important music streets. Karangahape Road's late-night identity, small venues and independent culture fit the purpose of the programme better than a single large seated room. If delegates are looking for artists with live credibility and audience edge, the street itself becomes part of the introduction.
Tickets are already on sale for the summit through Q Theatre, with earlybird pricing until 4 August, while the showcase-only ticket link opened on 27 July. The straight news value is the artist list. The bigger Auckland value is that Going Global turns local music work into a temporary international marketplace without requiring artists to leave the city first. For the selected acts, August will be less about one performance and more about whether a 20-minute set can open the next booking, collaboration or overseas conversation.
