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Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall will reopen on February 20, 2027, with a headline performance by Wellington band Drax Project, marking the return of live music to the historic venue after 13 years.
The reopening concert, Drax Project & Friends, will also feature Bret McKenzie performing with his eight-piece Wellington band, The State Highway Wonders, in a celebration of local talent and the capital’s musical heritage.
For Drax Project, the performance represents a homecoming. The band formed while studying in Wellington and built its early following busking on the city’s streets.
Drax Project says playing the Town Hall has long been an ambition.
“The Town Hall closed before Drax became a thing, but playing there is something we’ve always dreamt of doing as a band. The restoration is world class,” the band says.
The group says it will be joined by a lineup of collaborators and friends from across New Zealand’s music community, although the full guest list will remain under wraps until the performance.
Venues Wellington/WellingtonNZ Events and Experiences general manager Heidi Morton says the reopening is a significant moment for the city.
“We wanted an opening that felt electric, inclusive and proudly Wellington, and Drax Project & Friends will embody exactly that,” Heidi says.
Mayor Andrew Little says announcing the first act is an important milestone in the Town Hall’s revival.
“It’s been 13 years since the Town Hall has been alive with music, so to now be at the point where we’re announcing the first reopening act is exciting for our city,” Andrew says.
The reopening also marks the launch of the National Music Centre, a partnership between Wellington City Council, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington’s New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī.
NZSO chief executive Marc Feldman says the timing is particularly significant, coinciding with the orchestra’s 80th anniversary.
“Our first concert took place here in 1947, and its remarkable acoustics have shaped the life of the orchestra ever since,” Marc says.
Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall closed in 2013, with restoration work beginning in 2019. The Grade 1-listed heritage building has been restored using original materials and techniques, and will host a year-round programme spanning local, national and international performances.
