Festival News - Strange Universe Autumn Edition - Auckland series March 2026 - 20th November 2025

Presented by Banished Music & Strange News

Clockwise from top left -Ty Segall, Les Big Byrd, Smerz, The Bats, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek

Grab your 2026 calendars and put a big red cross through the month of March, because Banished Music and Strange News have teamed up for a phenomenal series of shows iconic venues across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Ladies and germs, introducing Strange Universe - Autumn Edition, featuring the return of American psych lord Ty Segall and his scorching band, Norwegian duo of the moment Smerz, Swedish noise makers Les Big Byrd, Anatolian psych-folk sensation Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, and eternally excellent Flying Nun favourite The Bats celebrating their 2025 already-classic album Corner Coming Up.

“I knew we were crazy, but I didn’t know we were this crazy” - Reuben Bonner, CEO of Banished Music

Tickets will be available to purchase in the presale at 10:00am on Friday, 21st November, followed by general public on sale from 10:00am on Tuesday 25th November from www.banishedmusic.com.

Having both run their own shows separately for two decades or more, independent Tāmaki Makaurau-based promoters Banished Music and Strange News put their heads together in 2022 and realised that by their powers combined they could throw on shows beyond either of their wildest dreams. Since then, the dynamic duo have brought audiences the likes of Pavement, Amyl & The Sniffers, Lucy Dacus, MJ Lenderman, Vieux Farka Touré, Parquet Courts, Bikini Kill, Weyes Blood, Tinariwen, and countless more.

Now, it’s time to ramp things up and really get the party started! The full line-up across March is yet to be unveiled, but this first announcement is enough to melt minds and have festivalgoers looking forward to the new year like never before, with Strange Universe Winter Edition already in the works.

Tour Dates:

SMERZ (NORWAY) - WEDNESDAY 4th MARCH - DOUBLE WHAMMY
THE BATS CELEBRATE CORNER COMING UP (NZ) SATURDAY 7th MARCH - HOLLYWOOD AVONDALE
TY SEGALL (USA) - TUESDAY 10th MARCH - POWERSTATION
DERYA YILDIRIM & GRUP ŞİMŞEK (GERMANY) - SUNDAY 15th MARCH - DOUBLE WHAMMY
LES BIG BYRD (SWEDEN) - TUESDAY 24th MARCH - DOUBLE WHAMMY

Ticket Sales:

www.banishedmusic.com

---