Cross Street Music Festival Drops First Wave of 2026 Line-Up

Cross Street Music Festival has dropped the first wave of artists for Saturday 28 November 2026, bringing together some of Aotearoa’s most exciting independent, underground and emerging music for its biggest year yet.

Sola Rosa, MELODOWNZ, Borderline, Lilbubblegum, DARTZ and Where’s Jai are among the first names announced for the eighth edition of the independent Tāmaki Makaurau festival.

This first drop jumps from electronic and hip-hop to indie pop and sweaty rock ’n’ roll, mixing established Aotearoa favourites with a new generation already making serious noise here and overseas.

Among the first wave is Sola Rosa, the ever-evolving project of Auckland producer, songwriter and musician Andrew Spraggon. Expect deep grooves, funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop and electronics all thrown into the blender. More than two decades in, Sola Rosa is still finding new ways to make people move, with new album In The Mids taking things firmly back to the dancefloor.

Joining the line-up is Avondale’s MELODOWNZ, serving up sharp, thoughtful hip-hop with reggae in the mix and plenty of West Auckland swagger. His acclaimed debut album Lone Wolf brought together international heavyweights Denzel Curry and Maxo Kream with local legends Troy Kingi, Bailey Wiley and Diggy Dupé. Avondale to the world.

Borderline bring big hooks, funk fuelled grooves and ridiculously catchy indie pop. The four childhood friends have gone from making music together in Auckland to SXSW, The Great Escape, shows in New York and Los Angeles, to opening for Teddy Swims on his New Zealand arena tour.

Then there’s Lilbubblegum, who started making music on his phone at 15 before finding his people in the wilds of underground SoundCloud. His dreamy, internet-born hip-hop blew up with viral track af1, and he’s since signed to US label Listen To The Kids and collaborated with Yung Gravy, Rico Nasty, Jasiah and SXMPRA.

Wellington four piece DARTZ bring loud, fast, sweaty rock ’n’ roll made for a live crowd. The band famously talked their way into a support slot for The Chats when they were only meant to play one show. Hundreds of gigs, two chart-topping Flying Nun albums, a Taite Prize nomination and two Aotearoa Music Awards later, that plan has clearly gotten a little out of hand. Album number three is now on the way.

Rounding out the featured artists are Where’s Jai, five 19-year-olds from Tāmaki Makaurau making high-energy pop-rock with big vocals, big feelings and a healthy dose of chaos. Fronted by powerhouse singers Grace Allis and Leigh Edmeades, they’re young, loud and exactly the kind of next-generation local band Cross Street is here for.

Also joining the first wave are Spell, BBYFACEKILA, Snakelegs, Mokomokai, Spdrtwnbby, Roy Irwin, Great South, Bub Band, Love Language, Beatniks, Magic Factory, Murry Sweetpants, Erin G, Tiger Lotiss, Hales and Noa Records with plenty more names still under wraps.

“Independent music needs places where artists can get on stage, shape their identity, find new audiences and be discovered — but it also needs community. Cross Street has always been about bringing people together — artists, audiences, local businesses and the wider community — creating a space where people can come together and express themselves. We should celebrate the brilliant music being made right here in Aotearoa, often without huge budgets or big machines behind it. These are the artists shaping what comes next, and they deserve to be heard.

You might come because you know one name on the line-up and leave obsessed with someone you’d never heard before. That’s the fun of Cross Street!  says Festival Director Anya Vitali.

Before the volume gets turned up at 4pm, the festival spills out across K’ Road and the surrounding precinct from 12pm, with free music, art and activity to stumble across throughout the afternoon.

This year’s Cross Street artwork has also been created by renowned Tāmaki Makaurau artist Tanja McMillan, aka Misery, whose work has long been part of the visual fabric of Karangahape Road. Hand-painted by McMillan, the 2026 poster depicts The Magician, a Major Arcana tarot card associated with manifestation, personal power, resourcefulness and turning ideas into action, a fitting image for the festival’s eighth edition. McMillan’s connection to K’ Road runs deep and her permanent works on the street include the small bronze sculptures Twist and Thief, created with John Oz, which draw on some of Karangahape Road’s lesser-known history,  from circus elephants once appearing on the roof of George Courts to the fruit and vegetable shops that once lined the street.

Independent by nature. Connected by community. He wāhi, he tāngata, he kōrero.

CROSS STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026
Saturday 28 November
From 12pm
Free and open to all
Free music, art, installations, performances, activations and kids’ activities across Karangahape Road, Mercury Lane and Cross Street.

Ticketed from 4pm – 10.30pm
Cross Street Music Festival
Early bird tickets are on sale now at crossstmusicfestival.co.nz

Plus free, all-ages programming at the Mercury Stage and other locations across K’ Road.