L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027

L.A.B. have not announced any concerts in Australia or New Zealand for 2027. As of 9 October 2026 there is no tour, summer festival booking or one-off show on the calendar in either country, and no new studio album has been announced to follow L.A.B. VI, released on 23 February 2024.

The reggae band from Whakatāne in the Bay of Plenty are one of the biggest live draws in New Zealand. Their 2020 single 'In the Air' spent 73 weeks in the New Zealand top ten and, at 15 times platinum, is the country's all-time best-selling single. Across the Tasman they have built a steady following through theatre tours and festival slots, from Max Watt's in Sydney in 2019 to the Hordern Pavilion and the Forum Theatre.

This page explains what is and is not known about the band's 2027 plans and gives a full account of their concerts in New Zealand and Australia, from bar and club shows in 2018 to the outdoor summer runs that have become a New Zealand holiday tradition, and the most recent dates at Claudelands Oval in Hamilton and Scarborough Beach in Perth in March 2026.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: what is announced so far

There is no official information about L.A.B. concerts in 2027. The setlist archive's most recent dates are Hagley Park in Christchurch on Friday 27 February 2026, Claudelands Oval in Hamilton on Saturday 14 March 2026 and the Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre in Perth on Saturday 28 March 2026. Nothing has been announced for the period after that.

The band's touring pattern is closely tied to the New Zealand summer. Almost every year since 2019 they have played outdoor shows between late December and March, from Wharepai Domain in Tauranga and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth to Hagley Park in Christchurch. The 2025-26 summer run was co-headlined with Stan Walker, with Aaradhna and Te Wehi on every bill: Wharepai Domain in Tauranga on Saturday 27 December 2025, Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast on Saturday 3 January 2026 and the Trusts Arena Outer Fields in Auckland on Saturday 31 January 2026.

Australian visits have become more frequent: a theatre and club tour in March 2025 was billed as a seven-date Australian tour, with dates in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne recorded in the archive, followed by Darwin in August 2025 and Perth again in March 2026. Whether the band will return to Australia or tour New Zealand in the 2026-27 summer or later in 2027 has not been announced.

Until there is an official announcement, treat any list of 2027 L.A.B. dates, any 'presale code' and any ticket listing for 2027 with suspicion. If the band confirm concerts in New Zealand or Australia, this page will be updated with the dates, venues and sale details.

Before the L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: Australia/NZ concert history

L.A.B. formed in Whakatāne in 2016 and released their first album in November 2017. The setlist archive begins with small New Zealand shows in 2018: Mantells on the Water in Auckland on Sunday 25 March 2018, the Factory in Hamilton, two nights at the Black Barn Amphitheatre in Hastings in October and Anthology on K Road in Auckland in December 2018. In 2019 the band were already playing bigger stages: Hagley Park in Christchurch, the Trafalgar Centre in Nelson, the Wellington Waterfront, three nights at Totara Street in Mount Maunganui in April and a winter run of arenas and halls from Pettigrew Green Arena in Napier to the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland and Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua.

Their first Australian show in the archive is Max Watt's House of Music in Sydney on Friday 11 October 2019. Back home, the band played two nights at the Boiler Room in their home town of Whakatāne on 20 and 21 December 2019, then a summer of shows at the Black Barn Amphitheatre, Butlers Reef in New Plymouth, the Coroglen Tavern, the Trafalgar Centre, Hagley Park on New Year's Eve 2019, Wharepai Domain, the Gisborne Soundshell, the Outer Fields at Western Springs in Auckland, the Queenstown Events Centre and Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei.

2020 was the year 'In the Air' topped the charts, and from July L.A.B. toured New Zealand widely: Spark Arena in Auckland on Friday 3 July 2020, Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, the Village Green in Rotorua, the Hawke's Bay Racing Centre, Soper Reserve in Mount Maunganui, McKay Stadium in Whangārei, Horncastle Arena in Christchurch and Waitangi Park in Wellington, followed by a summer of outdoor shows that ran from Gisborne, Mangawhai and Whangamatā over New Year to Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday 27 March 2021. July 2021 brought two nights at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington and Claudelands Arena again.

The band played Australia properly for the first time in 2022 and 2023. They appeared at Botanic Park in Adelaide in March 2022 and in Byron Bay at Easter 2022, then headlined in April and May 2023: Belvoir Amphitheatre in Perth on Saturday 15 April, the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, the Riverstage in Brisbane on 29 April and two nights at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne on 5 and 6 May 2023. They returned for outdoor shows at Park Alexandra in Caloundra and Doug Jennings Park on the Gold Coast at the end of September 2023, and to Byron Bay at Easter 2024.

Meanwhile the New Zealand shows kept growing: the Outer Fields at Western Springs and TSB Bowl of Brooklands in 2022, GLOBOX Arena in Hamilton in July 2022 and June 2024, Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings in January 2023, the Wellington Waterfront in March 2024 and two nights at the Christchurch Town Hall in July 2024. In March 2025 the band toured Australia, playing the Hindley Street Music Hall in Adelaide on Saturday 1 March, Perth HPC, the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney and the Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts on Sunday 9 March 2025, and they went to Fort Hill Parklands in Darwin in August 2025.

The table below lists 97 documented Australia/NZ concerts by L.A.B. between 2018 and 2026, with the most shows in Christchurch (12), Auckland (8), Wellington (8), Hamilton (7), Tauranga (6), New Plymouth (5). It is not exhaustive: it only includes documented shows.

Concert data: setlist.fm

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027 setlist: the songs played most often in Australia and New Zealand

Across the 11 most recent documented Australia/NZ concerts with a full song list (18 January 2020 to 14 March 2026), these are the songs that came up most often. Titles only — set lists change from night to night.

1. Controller — played at 11 of 11 shows
2. Ain't No Use — played at 10 of 11 shows
3. Rocketship — played at 10 of 11 shows
4. Mr Reggae — played at 8 of 11 shows
5. Why Oh Why — played at 8 of 11 shows
6. Take It Away — played at 7 of 11 shows
7. Under the Sun — played at 7 of 11 shows
8. Yes I Do — played at 7 of 11 shows
9. Natural — played at 6 of 11 shows
10. Personify — played at 6 of 11 shows
11. Fashion Dread — played at 5 of 11 shows
12. For the Love of Jane — played at 5 of 11 shows
13. No Roots — played at 5 of 11 shows
14. Ocean Demon — played at 5 of 11 shows

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027 and Australia/NZ festivals

Many of L.A.B.'s Australian appearances have been at festival sites. The setlist archive records a show at Botanic Park in Adelaide on Friday 11 March 2022, the home of WOMADelaide; a set at the Mojo stage in Byron Bay on Friday 15 April 2022, Good Friday of the Bluesfest weekend; and a return to the Bluesfest site at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm on Friday 29 March 2024.

In New Zealand the band have played Hagley Park in Christchurch most summers since 2019, often in late February, and Wharepai Domain in Tauranga around New Year. In July 2020 they announced their own first summer show date for January 2021, with the Black Seeds, Mako Road, Bailey Wiley and Anna Coddington in support, an early sign of the summer headline events that now anchor their year.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: career and records

L.A.B. was founded in Whakatāne in 2016 by brothers Brad Kora (drums and backing vocals) and Stuart Kora (keyboards, guitar and backing vocals), both of the band Kora. They brought in Joel Shadbolt on lead vocals and guitar, Ara Adams-Tamatea, formerly of Katchafire, on bass, and Miharo Gregory on keyboards. Their music is mostly reggae, mixed with electronic, blues, rock and funk.

The band numbered their albums from the start. L.A.B. (2017) reached No. 8 in New Zealand, L.A.B. II (2018) No. 12 and L.A.B. III (2019) No. 5. L.A.B. III was a finalist for the 2020 Taite Music Prize, and L.A.B. IV was a finalist the following year.

'In the Air' topped the New Zealand Singles Chart in March 2020, was the country's best-performing single of the year and stayed in the top ten for 73 weeks, longer than any other single. 'Why Oh Why' also reached number one in December 2020 and later found an audience on island reggae radio in Hawaii. L.A.B. IV (2020) went to No. 1 in New Zealand and No. 49 in Australia, and 'In the Air' was certified gold in Australia.

L.A.B. V (2021) and L.A.B. VI (2024) both went to No. 1 in New Zealand, as did the compilation Introducing L.A.B. (2023). In 2022 they released L.A.B in Dub with Paolo Baldini DubFiles. In 2025 the band received the Te Manu Mātārae Award at the Aotearoa Music Awards.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: the New Zealand summer

For many New Zealanders, an L.A.B. concert has become part of the summer holidays. The setlist archive shows shows between Christmas and New Year almost every year since 2019: the Black Barn Amphitheatre, Butlers Reef, the Coroglen Tavern and the Trafalgar Centre in 2019, Gisborne's Waiohika Estate, Mangawhai and Whangamatā in 2020, Robrosa Station near Cardrona in 2021, Wharepai Domain in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and Gisborne and New Plymouth again in December 2025.

These are big outdoor events, often in regional towns rather than the main cities, with long bills of New Zealand acts. The 2025-26 run added Stan Walker as co-headliner and Aaradhna and Te Wehi in support.

No 2026-27 summer dates have been announced as of 9 October 2026.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: Australia, step by step

L.A.B.'s Australian story is one of gradual growth. From a single show at Max Watt's in Sydney in October 2019, the band moved to festival slots in Adelaide and Byron Bay in 2022, then to headline shows at the Hordern Pavilion, the Riverstage and two nights at the Forum Theatre in 2023.

The March 2025 Australian tour included the Hordern Pavilion again, and later that year the band played Darwin. In January 2026 they shared the bill with Stan Walker at Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast, and in March 2026 they played the Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre in Perth.

Each visit has been a little bigger than the last, and the band have now played every mainland state capital, plus Darwin. A 2027 Australian tour has not been announced.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: Whakatāne and the Bay of Plenty

The band are proudly from Whakatāne, and the Bay of Plenty appears again and again in their touring history. They played two hometown nights at the Boiler Room in December 2019, three nights at Totara Street in Mount Maunganui in April 2019, Trustpower Arena in Mount Maunganui in July 2019, Soper Reserve in August 2020 and Wharepai Domain in Tauranga in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025.

That regional base is part of the band's identity: Brad and Stuart Kora came from the Bay of Plenty band Kora before forming L.A.B.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: record-breaking 'In the Air'

'In the Air' changed the scale of the band's concerts. Released as the band's breakout single, it topped the New Zealand chart in March 2020, stayed in the top ten for 73 weeks and became New Zealand's all-time best-selling single at 15 times platinum.

In concert it usually comes near or at the end of the night, sometimes paired with 'Dreams', as at Claudelands Oval in March 2026.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: what to expect live

An L.A.B. headline show typically has 15 to 23 songs, led by Joel Shadbolt on lead vocals, with Brad and Stuart Kora on backing vocals. Songs from across the six numbered albums sit alongside covers that change from tour to tour.

Recent set lists open with tracks such as 'Casanova', 'Rocketship' or 'Personify' and move through 'Mr Reggae', 'Fashion Dread', 'Ocean Demon', 'Ain't No Use', 'Natural' and 'Under the Sun' to a closing run of 'In the Air', 'Why Oh Why', 'Controller', 'Yes I Do' and 'Take It Away'. At Claudelands Oval in Hamilton on 14 March 2026 the band played 17 songs.

Covers are part of the fun: 'Islands in the Stream', 'Africa' and 'Amazing Grace' at the Riverstage in Brisbane in 2023, 'Move On Up' and 'Ain't Nobody' at Tomoana Showgrounds the same year, 'Stand by Me' at the Wellington Waterfront in 2024 and 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' in 2025.

L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027 tickets and presales

There are no L.A.B. tickets on sale for Australia or New Zealand in 2027, because no concerts have been announced as of 9 October 2026. Any site selling seats or offering a 'presale code' for 2027 dates is not official.

For the 2025-26 summer shows, tickets went on general sale on Thursday 31 July 2025 at 12pm NZST, with a presale for people who signed up in advance. If new dates are announced, buy only from the seller named in the official announcement or the venue box office, expect mobile tickets in the buyer's name, and avoid codes circulating on social media.

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L.A.B. Australia Tour 2027: questions and answers

Is L.A.B. touring Australia in 2027?

No dates have been announced as of 9 October 2026.

When did L.A.B. last play in Australia?

At the Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre in Perth on Saturday 28 March 2026, according to the setlist archive.

When did L.A.B. last play in New Zealand?

At Claudelands Oval in Hamilton on Saturday 14 March 2026.

Where are L.A.B. from?

Whakatāne in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, where the band formed in 2016.

What is L.A.B.'s biggest song?

'In the Air' (2020), which spent 73 weeks in the New Zealand top ten and is the country's all-time best-selling single at 15 times platinum.

Have L.A.B. played Bluesfest?

The archive shows sets at the Byron Bay Bluesfest site at Easter 2022 and on 29 March 2024.

Who toured with L.A.B. in summer 2025-26?

Stan Walker co-headlined, with Aaradhna and Te Wehi in support, in Tauranga, on the Gold Coast and in Auckland.

What is the latest L.A.B. album?

L.A.B. VI, released on 23 February 2024, which went to No. 1 in New Zealand.

Is there an L.A.B. presale code for 2027?

No. With no concerts announced, there is no presale; any code offered now should be treated as fake.