Spotlight: ROCK’EN’ROL - Live Music & Voting Enrolment Events

Are you enrolled to vote? Have you double checked your details are up to date at vote.nz? There’s so much at stake this year and Aotearoa New Zealand’s current government have shifted the goalposts — you must now be enrolled by midnight 25 October to vote in the 2026 General Election.

Not matter how young or old you are, your vote makes an actual real difference between a future we can collectively look forward, or… [gestures at our daily news]. Independent music venues and allies throughout Aotearoa are banding together under the umbrella of ROCK’EN’ROL, encouraging rangatahi / young adults to get enrolled and vote in this year’s general election with an awesome variety of live musical events around the motu.

Read all about the kaupapa of ROCK’EN’ROL plus some handy tips below, find out when it’ll be happening at your local gig hotspots (with many lineups to be revealed), and please if you haven’t done so already, enrol to vote and / or update your details at vote.nz

ROCK’EN’ROL is a collective of Independent Music Venues, across the Motu, uniting to help get rangatahi/young adults enrolled to vote!

Venues are joining forces with local hip-hop crews, punk bands, pop & folk artists, DJs, community leaders, comedians, rabble-rousers & local legends to help create a whole lot of events!

The kaupapa is simple: provide enrolment support + a great event, to encourage youth participation.

By making enrolment easy, visible & accessible, independent music venues are uniting in support of rangatahi/young adults getting enrolled to vote, ready for the upcoming general election (just around the corner)!

Events will be held throughout Hepetema/September & Oketopa/October across the Motu.

New voter restrictions mean voters must be enrolled – and have updated their address (if they’ve moved) – by midnight on Sunday 25 October!!!

People will no longer be able to enrol at a voting place/on the day, nor can folks enrol during the fortnight leading up to election day.

Election Day is Saturday 7 November.

If you enrol by midnight on Sunday 4 October you’ll be sent an EasyVote card, making voting faster & easier. Highly recommend.

Events will be held throughout September and October 2026 at Independent Music Venues across Aotearoa. Check out a ROCK’EN’ROL event at an Independent Music Venue near you!

ROCK’EN’ROL

Friday 18th September

San Fran – Make a Move: Gig Series – Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington

Saturday 26th September

Mussel Inn – Mohua/Golden Bay

Rogue and Vagabond – Make a Move: Gig Series – Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington

Saturday 3rd October
Southern Lights Yard – Rock The Vote – Ōtepoti/Dunedin

Sawmill Cafe – Leigh*

Sunday 4th October

Double Whammy – Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland

Space Academy – Ōtautahi/Christchurch

Smash Palace -Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa/Gisborne

Rogue and Vagabond – Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington

WAA! – Whakatū/Nelson

Pearl Diver – Ōtepoti/Dunedin

Big Fan – Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland

Monkey House Lounge & Cabaret – Whitianga