Kneecap are heading back to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2027.
The Belfast rap trio will return for two arena shows next February, kicking off at Spark Arena in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland on Tuesday, February 9th, before heading to TSB Arena in Pōneke/Wellington on Wednesday, February 10th.
“Aotearoa we are coming. It’ll be almost two years since we landed on your shores,” Kneecap said. “One of our favourite places on earth… we are buzzing to get back.”
The shows will mark the trio’s first New Zealand appearances since their acclaimed 2025 run across Aotearoa and Australia, which saw Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí further establish their reputation for chaotic, politically charged live performances.
There are currently no dates for a return to Australia.
Kneecap will arrive with their second album, Fenian, released in May. Featuring singles including “Liars Tale” and “Smugglers & Scholars”, the record pushes the group’s collision of Irish-language rap, electronic music and political commentary into darker and more confrontational territory.
Their previous visit to Australia also produced one of the more memorable moments of their 2025 tour, when the group staged a free pop-up performance at Melbourne’s Federation Square during a run of three sold-out shows at 170 Russell. An estimated 10,000 people attended the performance.
Joining Kneecap across both New Zealand dates will be Lady Shaka, the DJ, producer and interdisciplinary artist whose Samoan, Tokelauan, Mā’ohi, Māori and Cape Verdean heritage plays a central role in her work.
Kneecap, MG Live and I OH YOU will also donate $1 from every ticket sold on the New Zealand run to Manaaki Rangatahi, Aotearoa’s national youth homelessness collective.
“The partnership with Kneecap is very exciting,” Manaaki Rangatahi’s Bianca Johanson said. “An Irish group dedicated to revitalising their reo (language) through their music is what we are all about, returning to your indigenous cultures language and practices is very healing, especially for our youth.
“We are inspired by their unrelenting decolonisation stance, which of course for us as tangata whenua, is an ongoing struggle without end.”
Mataaki Rangatahi is Aotearoa’s only national collective built to prevent and end youth homelessness.
“We’re not stopping until the job is done,” Johanson said. “We advocate hard, we work together, and we revolutionise the housing system. We do it for our mokopuna (grandchildren) because youth homelessness will end in this generation.”
Tickets for Kneecap’s Aotearoa New Zealand tour go on sale Wednesday, September 9th at 10am NZST, with an MG Live pre-sale beginning Monday, September 7th at 10am NZST.
Kneecap Aotearoa ‘Fenian’ Tour 2027
with Lady Shaka
Tickets on sale Wednesday, September 9th at 10am NZST.
MG Live pre-sale begins Monday, September 7th at 10am NZST.
Tuesday, February 9th
Spark Arena, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland
Wednesday, February 10th
TSB Arena, Pōneke/Wellington
