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The Rock Factory

List of Auckland Music Venues for Live Band Auckland Gigs

Auckland Music Concert Venues that let a live band play…

(Send any additions/corrections to admin@therockfactory.net)

Here you will find a small list of Auckland Music Venues that accept band gig bookings and how to contact them (IN Alphabetical Order). The aim is to compile the most comprehensive list of Auckland venues for hire that accommodate live bands. This will be an invaluable tool for bands touring New Zealand who are looking for venues that they can play in Auckland. I have also tried to include tech specs or production notes for each venue so that bands looking to book gigs there will know what is provided and what they might need to bring. I’ve also tried to note the capacity of these Auckland Band venues / Small sized Auckland Concert Venues. I hope this will be a valuable resource for touring bands or local bands that want to organise a live band Auckland gig.

Remember: We at the Rock Factory specialise in live sound and concert production. So, if you need extra items at the venue, like:

We can provide you with anything additional you need to make your gig at any of these Auckland Concert Venues a sweet success. Contact us.

If you are looking for venues for other types of events, such as conferences and corporate events, here is a handy resource: https://www.beia.co.nz/venue-capacity-index

Alphabetical List of Auckland Music Venues recommended for bands; Auckland Concert Venues suitable for Small to Medium gigs and Band Tours:

Anthology Lounge (now closed sorry)

 

Auckland Town Hall and Concert Chamber

 

Backbeat

  • Address: 1/100 Karangahape Road, Auckland 1010
  • Phone: 0800747765
  • Email: backbeat@rockshop.co.nz
  • Contact: Owned by The Rock Shop
  • Capacity 100

 

Production Notes:

  • Full PA, 4 foldbacks, 16 channel snake, 16 channel desk and full set of microphones, stands and cables provided!
  • Bring your own soundie. The Rock Factory can provide a mixing engineer if you need one.

Note: Venue is upstairs.

 

Brad’s

 

Production Notes: This gorgeous Auckland venue for hire is a blank canvas that you can use for almost any type of event. Built in the 1800s out of old Bluestone. This two-level venue can fit up to 500 standing and 300 seated. In the photo below we built a stage and catwalk plus installed a sound system, show lighting, stage backdrop drape and projector with screen at the venue. Both upstairs and downstairs, we placed a bunch of uplights too. Previously called the Bluestone Rooms.

Brad's warehouse is an event venue in Auckland that is very versitile. Book it today!Downstairs at Brad's warehouse venue in Auckland's CBD. This venue looks gorgeous with atmostpheric uplighting along the walls. Downstairs could be a great little auckland concert venues.

Bruce Mason Centre

 

Production Notes: Situated right by the beach in Takapuna, the Bruce Mason Centre is the North Shore’s premier performing arts venue. Run by Auckland Live, it’s a 1,100+ seat theatre that regularly hosts major touring bands, comedy shows, and theatre productions. It boasts a high spec JBL line array PA, massive backstage facilities, and excellent in-house production capabilities.

Like most major theatre venues, they have a solid foundation of PA and lighting gear, but if you’re bringing a high-impact rock show or a heavily produced tour, you’ll likely need to supplement it to match your tech rider. If your gig calls for extra foldbacks, specific drum mics, a drum shield, backline, or more moving lights, give us a shout, we’ve done the iconic touring ‘Divas’ gig with The Lady Killers full band setup at this venue. This venue is also great for theatre shows, so if you need additional wirless systems with beltpacks and headworn microphones, you can give us a call.

The Button Factory

  • Address: 2 Abbey Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
  • Phone: 022 420 5226
  • Email: kiaora@thebuttonfactory.co.nz
  • Website: https://thebuttonfactory.co.nz/
  • Capacity: Up to 250 standing.

 

Production Notes: Tucked away in the central city on Abbey Street, The upstairs venue; The Button Factory is a fantastic, multi-purpose creative hub housed inside a repurposed industrial building. It’s got a massive community focus and regularly hosts everything from underground gigs and DJ club nights to gallery exhibitions and immersive arts events. The venue comes equipped with an OPUS PA system, a built-in lounge area, and kitchen/bar facilities, making it an awesome, ready-to-go blank canvas for parties and events.

They have an in-house system, but your can hit up The Rock Factory if you need to supplement your show with extra microphones, foldbacks, DJ gear, backline, stage lighting, or an audio engineer. Note: venue is upstairs.

 

Cassette Nine

 

Corban Estate Arts Centre

  • Address: 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson, Auckland 0612
  • Phone: 09 838 4455
  • Email: venuehire@ceac.org.nz
  • Website: https://ceac.org.nz/venues/
  • Capacity: Up to 350 people in Shed 2 (smaller spaces like The Barrel Store and Opanuku Studio hold 100). Church holds 50-80.

 

Production Notes: Set in the historic former winery buildings in Henderson, Corban Estate Arts Centre offers several unique spaces for gigs. Shed 2 is their largest venue—an industrial, high-character space that makes a fantastic blank canvas for events. Because it is a blank canvas, there is no in-house production gear. You will need to bring your own PA system, foldbacks, mixing desk, microphones, and stage lighting. The Rock Factory can supply all the sound, lighting, and staging gear you need to transform this historic space into an epic West Auckland concert venue!

 

Ding Dong Lounge & Dead Witch

 

Galatos – Auckland Music Venues

  • Address: 17 Galatos Street, Auckland 1010
  • Phone: 021 335 011
  • Email: andrea@galatos.co.nz
  • Website: http://www.galatoslive.co.nz
  • Contact: Andrea Clark or Waka\
  • Capacity: up to 400, nice with 250 to 300 people. A great little Auckland concert venue.

 

Production Notes:

  • Full Dynacord Cobra Line Array PA Provided in main room.
  • There is an X32 mixer and S32 stage box, plus 4 powered turbo sound speakers to use as foldbacks or monitors onstage;
  • Bring your own microphones, cables and Sound Engineer or use the in-house engineer, Paul Emlyn Crowther; he’s a legend and made the Hot Cake Pedals!
  • Downstairs, there is a small 4-channel Mixing Desk.
  • If doing a gig downstairs, I would bring a mixing desk, snake and foldbacks (or maybe you can use some of the speakers from the main room on-stage?).
  • The main room is a great venue all-rounder, auckland venue for hire that fits up to 400 people.
  • We can provide extra lighting for this venue if you want something flash!
  • This a great Auckland Concert Venue for touring bands who don’t want to spend too much, as most of the gear is already there in-house.
  • In the picture below, we brought in some stage lighting for a gig at Galatos.

This is a picture of a gig at Galatos with live band Auckland, where we brought in extra lighting truss and backlights. Back lighting works best at some Auckland Music Venues, including Galatos. A great little Auckland Concert Venue option, call Andrea to book - everything is right there.

 

The Hollywood Avondale – Auckland Concert Venue

 

Production Notes: Built in 1915, The Hollywood is Auckland’s oldest surviving cinema and a great size live music venue. It has a legendary reputation in the local and touring scene, hosting everything from massive international indie acts to heavy local rock and punk gigs. The room has a brilliant, classic atmosphere and comes equipped with a truly high-end d&b audiotechnik PA system onsite.

While the front-of-house speakers are completely sorted, you will need to bring your own mixing desk, foldbacks, microphones, stands, and cables to run a full live band. We can help with that!

We have done a concert with Bic Runga in 2020 at this venue providing stage cables, mics, monitors, stagebox and mixing desk kit, backline, sound engineer, additional lighting and lighting operator. The Jubilation choir that our own Michelle is a member of has also done a gig with Julia Deans, Anika Moa and Bella Kalola at this venue, so we know the requirements to do a gig in this venue.

 

Hopetoun Alpha / Whakamana Cannabis Museum

  • Address: 19 Beresford Square, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
  • Phone: +64 27 771 7332
  • Email: abegraynz@gmail.com (Booking enquiries currently handled via the Whakamana Museum team)
  • Website: Whakamana Cannabis Museum
  • Capacity: Up to 250 standing.

Production Notes: Located just off K Road on Beresford Square, Hopetoun Alpha is an incredibly unique, historic venue housed inside a gorgeous 19th-century poured-concrete church. With its grand neo-classical columns and beautiful heritage details, it’s one of Auckland’s most architecturally stunning spaces. Today, the building also serves as the home of the Whakamana Cannabis Museum, but it remains a highly sought-after event space—frequently hosting everything from boutique ambient music nights, and acoustic gigs to markets and private functions.

Because of its original church design, the natural acoustics in the room are absolutely phenomenal. However, it operates as a completely blank canvas for events, so there is no in-house sound gear. If you are planning to run a live band gig or a DJ night, you will definitely need to bring in your own full production setup.

We can help with this as we’ve done plenty of events here in the past including weddings, Nathan Haines & band (Michelle mixing), a battle of the bands type gig, staff parties with bands, uplighting for corporate events and more.

 

The Kingslander & Nectar Bar

 

Production Notes: Located right in the heart of Kingsland (and super close to the train station), The Kingslander is a massive, multi-level pub that’s an awesome choice for live music. The downstairs area is a classic, spacious pub setting where bands can set up near the main bar to play to a packed, high-energy room.

If you want a space that’s a bit more exclusive, you can hire out “Nectar” upstairs. It functions as your own private venue complete with a fully equipped bar, raised lounge area, and an outdoor rooftop courtyard—making it absolutely ideal for EP launches, pay-at-the-door gigs, and wrap parties. While they regularly host live music and open mic nights, you’ll generally need to bring your own backline, mixing desk, foldbacks, and a sound tech for a full-scale band setup. Hit up The Rock Factory if you need to hire any extra PA gear, stage lighting, or an audio engineer to make sure your Kingsland gig goes off without a hitch! We’ve done a few gigs both upstairs at Nectar and downstairs over the years.

 

Leigh Sawmill Cafe

 

Mangawhai Tavern

 

Production Notes: Situated right on the water’s edge just north of Auckland, the historic Mangawhai Tavern is an absolute staple of the New Zealand summer touring circuit. It has a legendary history of supporting live music, hosting everything from acoustic acts for relaxed Sunday arvo sessions to massive Kiwi headliners over the holiday season. With a great pub atmosphere and options for both indoor and outdoor gigs, it’s a versatile and iconic destination for bands taking their tour north of Auckland.

Depending on the scale of your gig, you will likely need to bring in your own full touring production rig. There is some staging onsite. Hit up The Rock Factory to hire a band system or line array PA system, backline, stage extension, lighting, and mixing consoles as we regularly do gigs at this venue with bands on tour.

 

Mothership

 

Production Notes: Hidden in a basement of a building in the heart of Auckland city… This venue as a great little Adamson Line Array which is plenty loud for the location and an M32 mixing desk. It has 2 or 3 foldbacks, so if you want a full band to play there, you might want to bring some more powered speakers to use as monitors. Some standard microphones onsite, but you might want to bring your preferred microphones.

Both Michelle and Suren have mixed plenty of bands at this venue. It has a cool vibe & rock’n’roll atmosphere. Note: venue is downstairs.

 

Neck of the Woods

 

Production Notes: Full PA with 18 subs, snake, 32 channel desk, 1 DJ foldbacks. Provided – bring your own microphones, foldbacks, backline, cables, and hire Bob (in-house guy) as a soundie. Auckland music venue in the heart of the city.

 

Paraoa Brewing Company (now closed sorry)

 

Production Notes: Full PA, loads of power, two 16-channel stage boxes and an M32 Live Mixing Desk. Full microphone kit onsite, many cables, four fold backs, a good-sized stage, and in-house lighting. A great Auckland venue for hire that is a little out of town, with a great capacity and yummy pup grub food served. Works really well as a north Auckland concert venue.

In-house technician: One benefit of Paraoa Brewery as a venue is the in-house technician, Brody. If he’s available, you should have him mix – he has a great ear and mixes bands really well. He’s also great at running the in-house lighting.

 

The Portland Public House

  • Address: 463 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland 1021
  • Phone: 021 108 6367
  • Email: thegeneral@theportlandpublichouse.com
  • Website: https://theportlandpublichouse.co.nz/
  • Capacity: 100 – 150 people.
  • Vibe: Intimate, cozy, great for local bands.

 

Production Notes: Located in the heart of Kingsland, The Portland Public House is a fantastic local joint known for its retro, welcoming vibe. They regularly host live music and jam nights, making it a staple Auckland venue for local bands. It’s a great spot for intimate gigs, private functions, and album release parties, with both indoor spaces and a really cool garden area available for hire. 

 

Powerstation

 

The PumpHouse Theatre

 

Production Notes: Nestled right on the shores of Lake Pupuke in a striking historic brick building (it’s a former Victorian water pumping station!), The PumpHouse Theatre is a charming and intimate North Shore venue. It’s great for acoustic sets, indie gigs, theatre productions, and seated album releases. They also have an outdoor amphitheatre that is perfect for summer evening shows under the stars.

Because it is primarily a boutique theatre space, it comes equipped with standard theatrical lighting and a basic in-house sound system tailored for dialogue and plays. There is an inhouse vocal PA system and a allen & heath QU24 mixing desk It isn’t naturally set up for a full live band. If you’re bringing a band into this space, you’ll definitely need to bring your own backline, foldbacks, instrument & drum mics.

We did John Hanlon’s gig here and also multitrack recorded it. The Jubilation choir that our own Michelle is a member of has also performed and recorded here. Kristie who looks after this website used to be the accompaniment musician for Tim Bray’s Children’s theatre productions. And Lee one of our sound and lighting technicians works at this venue regularly.

 

Raynham Park – Auckland Venue for hire

 

This venue has a full PA, stage and lighting onsite. Bring your own microphones, stands, cables and fold backs. Note: the venue is upstairs.

 

SkyCity Theatre

  • Address: Corner of Hobson and Wellesley Streets, Auckland CBD 1010
  • Phone: 09 363 6070 (SkyCity Events Team)
  • Email: events@skycity.co.nz
  • Website: https://skycityauckland.co.nz/theatre/
  • Capacity: 700 seated.

 

Production Notes:

Located right in the heart of the CBD inside the massive SkyCity complex, the SkyCity Theatre is a premium, 700-seat auditorium. It’s a hugely popular choice for comedy galas, corporate presentations, theatrical runs, and seated international music acts. As a world-class, purpose-built theatre, it features state-of-the-art staging, cinema facilities, and an excellent in-house sound and lighting grid.

Because it’s a high-end theatre, you’ll be working with some great built-in tech, but for a full live band setup or a specialised touring production, you’ll likely need to bring in specific backline, band microphones, wireless systems with headsets etc. You can hit up The Rock Factory if you need to hire extra audio gear as we’ve done band shows there before including Full band with Timeless Duets and Theatre with Auckland Med Revue. We have technicians who know both the inhouse sound setup and the inhouse lighting setup.

 

The Stables Matakana

 

Production Notes: Nestled inside the Matakana Country Park just a few minutes outside the village, The Stables is a brilliant indoor/outdoor events venue that provides a fantastic rustic backdrop for live gigs. Known for its great food, fully stocked licensed bar, and relaxed country vibe, it routinely hosts everything from touring comedy shows to DJs and live rock bands.

While they do have a stage and an in-house PA and lighting options available, you’ll likely want to bring in heavier production for a full-scale live band or touring act. If you’re planning a massive party or a ticketed gig out in Matakana, hit up The Rock Factory! We can supply the mixing consoles, extra foldbacks, backline, stage lighting, and a professional audio engineer to ensure your show looks and sounds incredible. We regularly provide techs and extra items like a s32 stagebox to match their X32 mixing desk, extra monitors or IEMS, cables and microphones at this venue.

 

Studio The Venue

 

Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen

  • Address: 7 Sale Street, Freemans Bay, Auckland 1010
  • Phone: 09 307 8148
  • Email: events@sweatshopbrew.co.nz
  • Website: https://stargroup.nz/venues/sweat-shop
  • Capacity: Up to 650 standing across the entire venue (250 seated). They also have smaller private areas like the Velvet Room and Lounge that hold anywhere from 30 to 150 people.

 

Production Notes: Located just on the edge of the CBD in Freemans Bay, Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen is a massive, high-energy hybrid venue housed in a historic industrial building. It boasts an on-site boutique microbrewery, a Southern-American inspired smokehouse kitchen, and one of Auckland’s largest outdoor decks with killer views of the Sky Tower. It’s a hugely popular fixture in the local scene, routinely hosting live bands and DJs every Friday and Saturday night to a packed dance floor.

Because it has multiple stages and such a large, versatile floor plan, it’s a fantastic venue for big gigs, EP releases, or large-scale private parties. While they do have some basic AV gear (like screens and microphones) included for their private function rooms, a full-scale live band gig on their main stage will likely require a dedicated PA system, foldbacks, backline, and a mixing desk.

 

Te Pou Theatre

  • Address: Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson, Auckland 0612
  • Email: info@tepoutheatre.nz
  • Website: https://www.tepoutheatre.nz/
  • Capacity: 250 seated (or up to 350 standing) in the main Tokomanawa Theatre. 100 in the smaller Tāhū Studio.

 

Production Notes: Located within the Corban Estate Arts Centre grounds, Te Pou Theatre is a stunning, purpose-built kaupapa Māori performing arts venue. The main Tokomanawa Theatre is a highly versatile space featuring retractable seating, a sprung dance floor, and a professional-grade sound and lighting rig onsite. The venue also features a fantastic central foyer and bar area (Te Kōpua) for pre-show drinks and mingling. It’s an excellent, well-equipped West Auckland concert venue for live bands, theatre shows, and touring acts.

 

Te Puna Creative Hub

  • Address: Te Kōpua, Henderson, Auckland
  • Phone: 027 267 8445 (Kirsty) / 027 939 2381 (Koen)
  • Email: Kirsty.Donoghue@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / koenaldershof@gmail.com
  • Website: https://tepunacreative.com
  • Contact: Kirsty Donoghue or Koen Aldershof
  • Capacity: Adaptable spaces (capacity varies by room)

 

Production Notes: Located in the heart of Te Kōpua Henderson, Te Puna Creative Hub is a fantastic, high-tech West Auckland venue where ancestral wisdom and creativity converge. It features adaptable, cost-effective spaces equipped with state-of-the-art tools and technologies to bring your creative vision to life. For live gigs and performances, the Kōmanawa theatre and Takawai film studio are incredible options. The hub also boasts premium spaces, including a Grand foyer, Urban Playground, and The Grounds restaurant for pre-show food and mingling. Since they have high-tech facilities onsite, check with them regarding their specific PA and lighting specs—and hit up The Rock Factory if you need to supplement their gear with extra backline, microphones, foldbacks, or an audio engineer!

 

Thirsty Dog

 

Tuning Fork

Production Notes: Full PA, microphones, mixing desk and foldbacks onsite. Right next to spark arena.

 

Uxbridge Creativity Hub and Theatre

 

Production Notes: Has PA, and a range of microphones, plus a mixing desk and foldbacks onsite.

The UXBRIDGE Theatre used to be a church, which gives it a really cool, unique vibe. It’s an good spot for live performances, complete with pro lighting and inhouse sound gear, and an intimate feel that opens up into a large gathering area. They also offer a bar service if you need it!

 

Whammy Bar – Double Whammy

 

Production Notes: In-house PA and Sound Guy.

Capacity: 500 people.

Double Whammy is one of the few venues of its size in Auckland, with a capacity of 400 to 500 people. This new, larger space was developed by expanding and refurbishing the original Whammy!, Backroom, and The Wine Cellar performance areas into a single, spacious venue. Inside K Road’s St Kevin’s Arcade, there’s plenty to eat and drink and things to check out nearby.

Photo of a band playing at Double Whammy Bar on K Road in Auckland. This is one of the few 400-500 people band venues left in Auckland, NZ.

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