Cross Street Music Festival Goes Beyond Cross Street For Biggest Year Yet

Cross Street Music Festival returns on Saturday 28 November for its eighth year. The 2026 event, supported by Auckland Live and Auckland Council Events, is heading beyond Cross Street, with music, art, performance and activations spilling across Karangahape Road (K’Road), Mercury Lane and Cross Street for a day and night celebrating the many sides of K’ Road.

This year’s theme is Infinity. Eight years in, with the number eight echoing the infinity symbol, the theme reflects the endless energy, creativity and connection of a neighbourhood that never really stops evolving.

INFINITY runs through the festival in the same way ideas have always travelled through K’ Road: one thing sparks another, old spaces find new lives, sounds change, new faces arrive and the next chapter is added to everything that came before.

Independent by nature. Connected by community. He wāhi, he tāngata, he kōrero. The festival brings together diverse communities, artists, unique businesses and audiences, creating moments of belonging and shared experience.

From 12pm, the daytime programme is free for all the whānau, with music, art, installations, performances, activations and kids’ activities appearing throughout K’ Road, Mercury Lane and Cross Street. Follow the music, poke your head down a laneway, discover some art, grab a bite, have a drink and stumble across something you weren’t expecting.

Designed as a walkable festival, local businesses and the wider community will help transform the neighbourhood into an urban playground for the day. And this year, getting to Cross Street will be easier than ever. With the opening of the City Rail Link and the new Karanga-a-Hape Station, festival-goers will be able to arrive in the heart of the neighbourhood by train for the first time. It’s an exciting new chapter for K’ Road and one Cross Street is thrilled to be part of.

From 4pm, the ticketed Cross Street Music Festival takes over, turning up the volume with headline acts, emerging talent and the unexpected discoveries that have always been part of Cross Street. The Mercury Stage and other areas across K’ Road will offer free programming, suitable for all ages.

“Cross Street isn’t about creating a polished version of culture; it’s about celebrating the real one. We want it to feel like K’ Road,  open to everyone, reflecting the diversity of people and ideas, and full of things you might not expect. At a time when so much of what we experience is filtered through screens and algorithms, there’s something special about getting out, being amongst it and experiencing it together. Music and culture aren’t just things we consume, they’re things we create together,” says Festival Director Anya Vitali.

Founded in 2018, Cross Street takes its lead from the place around it: independent, expressive, sometimes a little unruly and never too overworked. There’s no front row and no back fence; artists and audiences share the same space, with music, art, food, people and unexpected moments all woven into the experience.

Daniel Clarke, Director of Auckland Live, says Cross Street Music Festival captures the creative energy and independent spirit that make Karangahape Road such a distinctive part of Tāmaki Makaurau. “We’re thrilled to support the festival as it expands across the neighbourhood for its biggest year yet, creating more opportunities for artists, local businesses and communities to connect through live music, art and shared experiences.”

Come down early or turn up later. Wander, listen, eat, drink, dance, discover something new and make a day of it, K’ Road style.

And just wait until you see who’s playing. The headline acts and first wave of Aotearoa artists will be revealed soon, with early bird tickets already on sale.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST NOW OPEN
Cross Street Music Festival is also calling for visual artists, performers and creatives to help bring INFINITY to life across the festival precinct. Artists are invited to transform the street into a living artwork and create unexpected moments that continue beyond the festival. Expressions of Interest are now open here.

CROSS STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026
Saturday 28 November 2026
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.