Presented by Frontier Touring

David Byrne Live in Concert AKL January 2026 - Image Credit Leoni Mooreland

Review By: Bridget Herlihy Artist/Band: David Byrne Venue/City: Venue, Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand Date of Event: Wednesday 14th January 2026

The last time that David Byrne played in New Zealand was late 2018, during his critically acclaimed American Utopia tour. Over seven years later, the show is still being raved about, so it wasn’t surprising that when his return to Aotearoa was announced last year tickets were in high demand.

Byrne, perhaps best known as the vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter for Talking Heads, has released nine studio albums to date, the latest being 2025’s Who Is The Sky? The sole NZ date of the tour last night in Auckland marked the beginning of the 2026 leg of the tour, and a very memorable one at that.

Byrne set the proverbial bar exceptionally high with the American Utopia tour, which saw a dozen musicians join Byrne onstage in a choreographed performance, rather than being tethered to one place for the entirety of the show. Unsurprisingly, given the calibre of that show, the levels of expectation and anticipation for Byrne’s return were high, and with very good reason.

With no opening act, the eclectic, generation-spanning audience steadily trickled into the arena and took their seats early, many also having taken advantage of the seating around the venue's bars prior to the show, taking time to relax with a cold beverage. Yet it was much cooler within the arena, with the air conditioning providing relief from the evening’s humidity. Birdsong played over the speakers, creating a calming prelude to the show, with a black-and-white photo of the surface of the moon projected on to the curved backdrop on stage.

A few minutes before showtime, an announcement came over the PA informing the audience that they were welcome to get up out of their seats and dance during the show (as long as those dancing didn't block the aisles, as that would give them an unfair advantage in the event of a fire). This information was welcomed with cheers and loud applause, and the scene was set for another unforgettable evening.

Against the monochromatic backdrop Byrne appeared onstage with a keyboardist, violinist and cellist, breaking into song with Talking Heads track Heaven. Byrne’s ensemble of 13 musicians and backing vocalists/dancers moved around the stage, creating a spectacle and energy that was both captivating and infectious. In a similar fashion to the American Utopia tour, wireless audio and instruments allowed the band to utilise the entirety of the stage. The band played and moved as a cohesive group, with Byrne firmly integrating himself into the dynamic of the ensemble. The energy radiating around the arena from the stage was almost palpable. At the end of the song an image of Earth from space appeared on the backdrop, as Byrne commented, “There she is, our heaven, the only one we have.”

He then said how good it was to be back in New Zealand, showing some pictures of picturesque locations that he had visited since arriving in the country (before making a tongue-in-cheek comment that the tour was sponsored by the NZ Tourism Board).

The set moved seamlessly between tracks from Who Is The Sky? and classic Talking Heads tracks, with each and every song met with rapturous applause and cheers, especially after an exceptional rendition of Talking Heads’ This Must Be The Place.

Byrne’s social commentary during the show was more subtle than overt, as he let the songs – with accompanying images – speak for themselves. Images from Venezuela and the NYPD appeared on screen, as well as slogans such as ‘No Kings’, ‘Make America Gay Again’, ‘Auckland Rocks’, each one met with raucous cheers of approval. In one of the evening’s more poignant moments, Byrne commented that one of the most punk things that we can do at this point in time is practise more love and kindness, something the world definitely needs more of. He also spoke of living alone in his New York apartment during the pandemic, and the importance of human interaction to our individual and collective wellbeing.

The final part of the show predominantly comprised Talking Heads tracks, including the iconic Psycho Killer, which succeeded in finally getting the remaining seat dwellers out of their seats and dancing. After a lengthy standing ovation, and a brief break, Byrne and his ensemble returned for an encore featuring Everybody’s Coming To My House from American Utopia, and finally Burning Down The House.

In summary, David Byrne and his ensemble create magic onstage. Drawing together elements of musical performance, interpretive dance, performance art, film, and storytelling, he creates an experience that is entirely captivating; a conduit of the power of music and performance to transcend the world outside, to bring people together, and – perhaps most importantly – to spread joy and foster human connection. David Byrne is not only an icon but also an auteur, and Who Is The Sky? is an exceptional show. There is no doubt that I am not alone in hoping that it isn’t another seven years until he returns. Bravo, Mr Byrne. Bravo!

Set list

Heaven (Talking Heads)
Everybody Laughs
And She Was (Talking Heads)
Strange Overtones (David Byrne & Brian Eno cover)
Houses In Motion (Talking Heads)
T Shirt
(Nothing But) Flowers (Talking Heads)
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads)
What Is The Reason For It?
Like Humans Do
Don't Be Like That
Independence Day
Slippery People
I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party
My Apartment Is My Friend
Hard Times (Paramore cover)
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
Life During Wartime (Talking Heads)
Once In A Lifetime (Talking Heads)
Everybody's Coming To My House
Burning Down The House (Talking Heads)