Concert Review - Greenstone Summer Series 2026 - Taupo - 24th January 2026
Presented by Greenstone Entertainment
An Icon, Iggy Pop preforms at Greenstone Summer Tour 2026-Photo Credit Megan Moss Photographer
Review By: Bridget Herlihy
Photos By: Megan Moss Photographer
Artist/Band: Iggy Pop, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Hoodoo Gurus, ZED
Venue/City: Taupo Amphitheatre, Taupo, New Zealand
Date of Event: Saturday, 24th January 2026The Summer Concert tour has undeniably become one of the annual highlights for live music in New Zealand. Every year eager fans spend months guessing the lineup for the coming year’s concert. The event has become renowned for its stellar line-ups, and for always delivering a memorable day of live music from some of the world’s most iconic and beloved performers. The 2026 Summer Tour is no exception, with a lineup featuring Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Hoodoo Gurus and Zed.
Mother Nature has not been kind to Aotearoa this week, and it looked like sunshine and warm temperatures were going to evade Taupo on Saturday for the first date of this year’s tour. I lost count of the number of times I checked the weather forecast over the last week, and I know I wasn’t the only one. At times like these you have got to love the Kiwi spirit; no matter the weather, we are going to turn out in droves for the Summer Concert tour. Threats of rain, hail and thunderstorms be damned; a bit of precipitation is not going to stand in the way when it's time to rock! Judging by audience feedback during and after the Taupo show, this year’s was one of the best yet.
Despite the threat of inclement weather, several thousand people lined up outside the Taupo Amphitheatre waiting for the gates to open. And once they did, the mad dash to secure preferred seating locations immediately began, with chilly bins, carts, blankets and chairs in tow.
With anticipation and excitement levels high, local band Fairly Obvious got dozens of people up out of their picnic chairs and in front of the stage. They delivered an energetic set that included covers of The Beatles' Come Together, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder On The Dancefloor, the always-sure-to-please Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz, and Arctic Monkeys’ I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. A great choice to start the day's lineup and get the crowd warmed-up and in the mood.
After a break, familiar notes boomed out of the PA, and we were transported straight back to 2001 as Zed plugged in and launched into Renegade Fighter. Throngs of fans made a beeline for the stage, and as frontman Nathan King sang the chorus to the crowd, they responded enthusiastically. King and bandmates Ben Campbell (bass),Andy Lynch (guitar) and Adrian Palmer (drums) ripped through a polished set of all their hits, with Don't Worry Baby, I'm Cold and Oh! Daisy. Suffice to say that the band is musically as tight as ever.
Zed released their latest album, Future Memory, in 2024, with a couple of tracks from the LP making it into the setlist. Face the Rain was one of the highlights of their set, with King saying he hoped that it wouldn't rain as they played the song. And as if on cue, the clouds parted and sunshine washed over the Amphitheatre. Before launching back into one of the tracks that made them a household name in the 2000s, Come On Down, King expressed his heartfelt thanks to the crowd, and put his guitar down for Future You, dancing at the front of the stage while beaming from ear to ear. Bonfires, from their latest album (dedicated to new fan Scott) was another highlight, as was Atlas vocalist Ally Palmer joining the band for a cover of Crawl (the band included Campbell and Lynch). Rounding out the set with Hard To Find Her, a mass singalong to Glorifilia, and a formidable cover of Radiohead's Creep, Zed gave it their all. It's hard to believe that Zed went on a 15-year hiatus; they don't sound like they have aged a day.
Someone made the mistake of mentioning that the bad weather was holding off. Within a few minutes the showers started, and then just as quickly disappeared before Hoodoo Gurus hit the stage. Frontman Dave Faulkner, resplendent in a sequinned shirt and jacket, started the set with I Want You Back, followed by The Right Time and World of Pain. Formed by Faulkner in 1981, the Hoodoos have remained one of Australia’s most beloved rock acts for 45 years, and their stage presence and musical prowess hasn’t waned at all. Front of stage was full of several hundred fans dancing nodding along approvingly with the beat. Playing songs from throughout their career, including Death Defying, and two tracks from 1984’s Stoneage Romeos, I Was A Kamikaze Pilot and I Come From Your Future (with Brad Sheppard on vocals), the Hoodoos delivered a fantastic set of pure rock ‘n’ roll. They didn't miss a beat throughout their hour-long career-spanning set. Bittersweet and Come Anytime were standouts, with Faulkner proving that he still has a very, very strong set of pipes on him. Unsurprisingly, it was fists and beer cans in the air for 1000 Miles, and then twice as many bodies gyrating for What's My Scene?, with Faulkner turning vocals over to the crowd for a chorus. Rounding out the set with Like Wow - Wipeout!, even more people ran to the front of the stage in the hopes of squeezing into the already packed area. Half expecting to see some stagediving and crowd surfing, the Hoodoos had whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Whether a Hoodoos fan or not, there is no denying they delivered in spades with an incredibly fun and very polished set.
The weather gods continued to smile upon the Amphitheatre as the Blackhearts stormed the stage. A huge roar from the crowd echoed across the venue as the high priestess of rock ‘n’ roll appeared onstage. Dressed head to toe in her signature black, Jett picked up her guitar and launched straight into Victim of Circumstance from her iconic 1981 album I Love Rock ‘n Roll, followed by a ferocious cover of The Runaways’ Cherry Bomb. Holding the crowd’s attention, and adoration, for entirety of her performance, Jett mixed it up with an eclectic mix of songs both old and new, as well as several covers, including another of her hits with the Runaways, You Drive Me Wild, Do You Wanna Touch Me by Gary Glitter, Sly and The Family Stone’s Everyday People, Light of Day by Bruce Springsteen (from the film of the same name which Jett starred in alongside Michael J Fox) and Androgynous by The Replacements. With strong vocals and stage presence, and her distinctive rock ‘n’ roll riffs, Jett delivers a mesmerising experience with her band the Blackhearts. She saved most of the big fan favourites for the end of the set, namely I Love Rock ‘n Roll, which had most of the crowd out of their seats, dancing and waving hands in the air. Crimson and Clover, I Hate Myself For Loving You, and Bad Reputation completed the set, by which time many audience members had reached new heights of euphoria. Greenstone have tried since the very early days of the Summer Concert Tour to get Joan Jett in the lineup, and this year the stars aligned. Was it worth the wait? ABSOLUTELY.
Joan Jett was a hard, hard act to follow. Yet from the moment Iggy Pop’s band started playing, it was evident that this was going to be an exceptional performance. The day’s headliner arrived on stage to prolonged cheers and screams, clad in black pants and a sequined waistcoat. He stood at the front of the stage taking in the scene in front of him, with the level of anticipation from the sea of fans almost palpable. Pop is one of the greatest surviving icons of punk, affectionately referred to as the Godfather of Punk. And at 78 years young, he shows no intention whatsoever of slowing down. Kicking off the 90-minute set with TV Eye, the scene was set for a high-energy, fast-paced set from Iggy and his band as they ripped from one iconic track to another – from Raw Power to I Got A Right to Gimme Danger, Death Trip, Search and Destroy, and Real Wild Child. During I Wanna Be Your Dog he urged his band, complete with horn section, to go faster, and they certainly tried; his fantastic guitarist was playing hard and fast as if her life depended on it. The band were incredible, and the lighting design during the set was superb, which is no mean feat for a daytime show.
Pop’s energy is enviable, and it is difficult to narrow down the long list of highlights from his set, although watching thousands of arms waving in the air as the crowd sang along to The Passenger and Lust For Life were incredible. Considering it has been almost five decades since some of these songs were first released, to see them continue to resonate with the audience in such a profound way is a joy to experience. Nightclubbing, Funtime and Louie Louie ended the set on the highest of high notes. It is safe to say that Iggy’s performance in Taupo will be remembered and talked about fondly for many years to come.
Each and every year the Summer Concert Series delivers fantastic lineups, and 2026 is no exception. With two more shows to go, with Auckland this Thursday; and Wanaka next Saturday seize the day! Don’t miss your chance to see some of the greatest icons in modern music strut their stuff. You may very well regret it if you don’t.
Tickets are still available for the Auckland and Lake Wānaka shows, these can be purchased at greenstoneentertainment.co.nz or at the box office.Iggy Pop
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Image Supplied
OFFICIAL MEDIA Release - 24th Jan 2026It was another magnificent day of entertainment in Taupō, with music fans filling the lakeside venue.Kiwi band ZED opened the concert with epic hits, ‘Hard To Find Her’, ‘Glorifilia’ and‘Renegade Fighter.’Australian band Hoodoo Gurus, frequent visitors to New Zealand, played a tight set featuring their trademark sing-along pop-rock hits like ‘I Want You Back’, ‘Like, Wow-Wipeout!’. and their classic ‘What’s My Scene?’American Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Joan Jett with her band The Blackhearts wasted no time cracking into their set of anthemic rock hits including ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’, ’Bad Reputation’, and ‘Crimson and Clover.’The anticipation was over with the arrival of the final act, Iggy Pop. Widely regarded as the ‘Godfather of Punk’, Iggy solidified his reputation as a dynamic stage performer, belting out classic cuts including ‘T.V. Eye’, ‘The Passenger’, and fan favourite ‘Real Wild Child.’As the day ended, fans departed satisfied after another memorable concert.Amanda Calvert, CEO of Greenstone Entertainment, said, “After sixteen years, Taupō has become our premiere event. It is always a pleasure to host the Summer Concert Tour in such an exceptional location, and this year’s line-up of legends of rock was met with an enthusiastic response from audience.”Next stop for the Summer Concert Tour is Spark Arena in Auckland on Thursday, January 29. The show, which is an evening performance will feature ZED, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Iggy Pop. The final outdoor concert for 2026 will be held at Three Parks Outdoor Arena in Lake Wānaka. the following weekend, Saturday January 31.Tickets are still available for the Auckland and Lake Wānaka shows, these can be purchased at greenstoneentertainment.co.nz or at the box office.
Greenstone Summer Tour 2026 PR - Iggy Pop, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Hoodoo Gurus, Zed