Laufey Tour 2026 Auckland: Set Times, What To Expect And Where To Go Before
Alice Rich
Contributor & Former Editor | Urban List NZ
Laufey is set to make her Aotearoa debut on Wednesday 12 August and, if you haven’t yet secured a ticket, you’d best snap one up, stat. The concert is set to showcase Laufey’s latest album in all its glory, A Matter Of Time.
If you haven’t heard of Laufey, let’s catch you up to speed: Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir is a 27-year-old double GRAMMY Award-winning Icelandic-Chinese composer, singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who released her first EP Typical of Me in 2021. Since then, Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay) has clocked 4.25 billion global streams, plus more titles and awards than you can shake a microphone at. She also holds the record for the biggest jazz album debut in Spotify history.
We've teamed up with Visa to give you the lowdown on everything you need to know about the show, from set times and venue information to our top recs for revelling in that Lover Girl energy before and long after the encore.
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What To Expect
A Matter Of Time is a sonic riff on the blissful moments and raw edges of a romantic relationship. Expect Laufey’s punchy, contemporary lyrics infused with old-world jazz and classical pop, with genre-defying flourishes, like the Brazilian rhythms in Lover Girl and the discordant piano in Sabotage, ensuring Laufey stays true to her genre-defying signature.
How To Get There
There are five main parking buildings within ten minutes’ walk from Spark Arena, so you could drive in, but we’d recommend taking public transport instead (especially since the arena is only a twelve-minute walk to Britomart). Better still would be to go into town early for a cheeky drink or pre-show snacks and then walk over to the arena.
Set Times
The exact running times haven’t been released just yet, but the ticketed start time is 7:30pm. We’ll update this guide as soon as the full schedule drops.
WIN TICKETS TO LAUFEY
We're giving you the chance to catch Lover Girl live, thanks to Visa.
The Details
Want to head along to Laufey this August? In partnership with Visa, we're giving away three tickets to Laufey - A Matter of Time Tour in Auckland on 12 August.
How To Enter
Simply head to our Instagram competition via the link below, make sure you're following Urban List New Zealand and Visa, and you're in to win. Competition closes 23 July.
Where To Go Before (And After)
Want to really set the tone for the night? Here are our top picks for vibey, jazz-infused spots to add to your evening itinerary and embrace the Lover Girl energy.
Caretaker
Downstairs, 40 Customs Street, Britomart
Venture down a hidden staircase and through a Caretaker’s closet, and you’ll find yourself in a New York speakeasy-like setting where there are no menus and cocktails are shaken to match your mood. Caretaker doesn’t take reservations, but they do take your name on the day and text you when a table is ready. You might like to wait upstairs at Rocketman (or, better still, take to the microphone yourself in Rocketman’s secret karaoke room). Doors open from 5pm.
The Nightcar
44 Queens Street, Auckland CBD
An underground refuge that wouldn’t look out of place in an original Charlie’s Angels edit, The Nightcar was designed to be a place that feels both familiar and foreign, reflecting the third culture experience. Slide into a booth and get your fill of modern Chinese cuisine, from noodles and potato cakes to steamed beef and dumplings, alongside stunning cocktails. Doors open from 5pm.
Kemuri Hi-Fi
1 Queen Street Basement, Commercial Bay
If you can find Kemuri HI-FI (and snag one of their highly-coveted seats), you’re in for an otherworldly treat, the staircase, a portal to a place where slick booze and vinyl are all that matters. Make a reservation here, open from 4pm.
MECCA
203 Queen Street, Auckland CBD
We’ve got it on good authority that Laufey’s go-to lip pencil is by MAC, in Stripdown. Prime your pout at MECCA accordingly, then perhaps pop around the corner to whimsical new cocktail haunt, Curio, for a cheeky tipple (with or without alcohol) and nibbles, en route to the arena. MECCA is open until 6pm, and Curio is open from 4pm.
Bar Albert
Inside voco Auckland City Centre by IHG, 13 Wyndham Street, Auckland CBD
For total opulence, head to voco Auckland and ride the elevator 38 floors up to Bar Albert. With a fit-out that’s golden hour incarnate, and with beautiful cocktails and bubbling raclette, it’s *the* spot to watch the sunset before scurrying down to the arena. Doors open from 4pm.
Keen to get around it? Find out more here.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Visa and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why, read our editorial policy here.
Main image credit: Supplied