Hiatus Kaiyote

Genre-bending future soul visionaries Hiatus Kaiyote return to New Zealand for the first time in five years to celebrate their 15th anniversary with an electrifying night of funk, jazz, hip-hop, rock and progressive R&B as only they know how.

Led by singer-guitarist Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield, the Melbourne funkateers Hiatus Kaiyote - featuring bassist Paul Bender, keyboardist Simon Mavin and drummer Perrin Moss – exploded internationally with their 2012 debut Tawk Tomahawk, which drew praise from the likes of Prince, Erykah Badu and Questlove. They landed their first of three Grammy nominations for their Q-Tip collaboration Nakamarra, received their second for their polyrhythmic record Choose Your Weapon (2015), and had their music sampled by no less than Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Drake (with whom Nai Palm also collaborated on 2018’s monster hit Scorpion).

The band’s kaleidoscopic 2021 album Mood Valiant sent them into the national top five and earned them another Grammy nod, while their latest, 2024’s Love Heart Cheat Code, landed them an ARIA nomination for Best Group.

Wizards of the shapeshifting live show, Hiatus Kaiyote have built a formidable reputation for their spectacular stage performances – a high-wire mix of musical mastery and thrilling, edge-of-your-seat chaos.

Tamaki Mākaurau-based Chinese-New Zealand singer, musician, and visual artist Crystal Chen has been announced as special guest for Hiatus Kaiyote's 15th Band-iversary New Zealand Tour. Crystal Chen uses different mediums in her creative practice to reflect her perspective and reaction to the world around her through an honest and romantic lens. Having paved a path for herself since her first release in 2020, she’s been known for her soft and alluring songwriting abilities, which explore themes of love, loss and fleeting memories.