Dave Flynn Takes Celtic Music to the Edges of Aotearoa in Ambitious 2026 Tour
Award-winning Irish-Kiwi musician Dave Flynn brings his new solo show Celtic Guitar Master to Aotearoa/New Zealand in March 2026, undertaking his most far-reaching national tour to date – traveling from the Kāpiti Coast to the West Coast, Stewart Island/Rakiura up through Dunedin, Christchurch and Blenheim and concluding on Aotea/Great Barrier Island over Easter Weekend.
Flynn has been praised by Radio New Zealand for working “effortlessly across musical boundaries” and by the NZ Listener for giving “Irish music a classical twist”. Critic Elizabeth Kerr (Five Lines) described his performances as possessing an “intoxicating verve”. Beyond Aotearoa, his work has been praised in The New York Times, Irish Times and The Times (UK), among many publications.
Fresh from a 34-date European tour, Flynn presents a programme of Celtic music that moves between Irish, Scottish and other Celtic traditions, blending jigs and reels with original compositions and song. Across the tour, audiences will hear music from Flynn’s debut album Draíocht, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, alongside selections from his Kiwi-Celtic suite Sketches of Aotearoa, inspired by New Zealand landscapes and native birdsong.
A defining feature of the 2026 tour is its focus on place and connection. Starting March 1st in Paekākāriki, Flynn will bring Celtic music to communities not often included on national tours including Karamea, Franz Josef, Murchison, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Aotea/Great Barrier Island. His Stewart Island/Rakiura residency, supported by Creative Communities Southland, will see Flynn drawing fresh compositional inspiration from local birdsong, continuing a practice of responding musically to Aotearoa’s landscapes and environments.
A free/koha Franz Josef concert in the historic St. James’ Church coincides with St Patrick’s Day, marking the occasion with a live celebration of Celtic music in one of the country’s most distinctive settings.
The tour’s urban stops include Ōtautahi Christchurch, Ōtepoti Dunedin and Flynn’s first-ever concert in Blenheim, a free/koha performance at the historic Tua Marina Church supported by Creative Communities Marlborough. The programme will feature music inspired by a creative stay in the region in 2021, including compositions titled Wither Hills Vines and Seven in Blenheim, alongside a newly written birdsong-inspired work.
Flynn completes the tour over Easter Weekend with a residency on Aotea/Great Barrier Island at the famed Irish pub The Currach, where he will be joined by his “Celtic cousin” Gerry O’Neil, a well-known Auckland-based Scottish musician. Their connection reflects both Celtic clan traditions and the Māori concept of whanaungatanga, through family ties between their respective cousins’ marriage.
Flynn’s engagement with place also extends to cultural exchange. In February 2025, during his previous tour, he was honoured by a pōwhiri at Rautahi Marae in Kawerau with Tūhoe ki Kawerau Kapa Haka Group. Following this, he shared his Celtic whakapapa in words and music with his gracious hosts, alongside collaborating with singer Shelley Akuhata and the late Tait Kora. Flynn was deeply moved by this experience and hopes to build further connections with iwi and Māori musicians as he travels across the motu.
Flynn has had many other memorable creative connections throughout Aotearoa, including acclaimed, sold-out collaborations with the New Zealand String Quartet and a 2025 collaboration with Dunedin legend Robert Scott (The Clean, The Bats) at Dunedin Folk Club. Flynn’s 2026 tour reflects a practice grounded in international Celtic traditions alongside a growing dialogue with the people, cultures and environments of Aotearoa.
Celtic Guitar Master – Confirmed Tour Dates 2026
(7.30pm starts unless indicated otherwise)
1 March – Paekākāriki, St Peter’s Village Hall (2pm)
8 March – Murchison Theatre (2pm)
14 March – Little Wanganui Hall, Karamea (Residency)
17 March – St James’ Church, Franz Josef (St Patrick’s Day)
21–23 March – Stewart Island Community Centre, Oban (Residency), Concert 21st
26 March – Pioneer Hall, Port Chalmers
28 March – The Piano, Christchurch
29 March – Tua Marina Church, Blenheim
3-5 April – The Currach, Aotea/Great Barrier Island (Easter Residency with Gerry O’Neil)
Full tour details and tickets:
