Once In A Lifetime: Opening Night at One NZ / Te Kaha Stadium

18th May 2026

Walking through the streets of Ōtautahi / Christchurch on Saturday you could assume the crowds were out for another match day to watch the mighty Crusaders roll another hapless Super Rugby team. On this occasion though, the crowd was descending on the first-ever gig at the new One NZ / Te Kaha Stadium. It sits proudly in the centre of the rebuilt city, a sign of renewal and strength.

Many of Aotearoa’s finest musicians hail from the streets and suburbs of Ōtautahi, so it was apt that Castaway, a band who’ve recently been making waves and who’ve adopted the city as their own, should open the bill. Their self-styled boy-band persona belies some tight and impressive songwriting, as shown by the saxophone-led opening song Heart Attack, from their debut album. They look at home on a stage this size and I doubt this will be the last time they play one.

Cassie Henderson burst into her set with a dynamism and confidence built from touring, and her stint on The Voice Australia, where she reached the final. The mentoring of Spice-Girl Melanie C, a true pro with a reputation for graft, showed through in the performance. Cassie was on fire, backed by an excellent band – they worked through a varied catalogue of recent releases including a surprising cover of Teenage Dirtbag which the crowd sang along to with aplomb.

She may be a South Canterbury local, but Kaylee Bell has built her reputation internationally and given a generation of young country singers the confidence that anything is possible. Her set had it all, a confident band slim enough to wear all white, dancers, both back projected and real, guest appearances by various Crusaders, Nathan King from Zed and the line-dancing Black Ferns. I wasn’t going to resort to tropes about the South Island work ethic, but Kaylee is an example writ large.

It would not be controversial to state that Six60 are a band that divides opinion, but they delivered. Starting with a rousing Don’t Forget Your Roots, they brought in the cavalry, with Kapa Haka, guest musicians and on Fade Away – marching drummers. They are a band of the people, with songs that listeners make their own. Their unashamed hooks, topped by Matiu Walters beautiful voice, is the caramel sauce on everyone’s favourite cake.

The Synthony shows have been gaining quite the global reputation since first appearing in 2016. The idea of EDM hits with a full orchestra may have been a strange idea, but it works, and then some. The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sarah Grace Williams showed how to deliver a raft of hits including Fatboy Slim’s Right Here Right Now and Avicii’s Levels to a packed stadium. With a rotating list of incredible guest vocalists including Prins, Savage, P Digsss, Emily Williams (channelling Grace Jones for the evening) and the dynamic Nyree Huyser. The crowd loved every second, it was quite something to experience.

Synthony and Six60 joined forces to complete the night with a rousing version of Rise Up that had Matiu Walters being hoisted skywards in the most literal interpretation of a song during the evening. The highlight of the night had to be the version of Forever, a song seemingly made for this special evening and sounding beautiful, with the orchestra and band in total harmony. A great end to a memorable night.