Art & creativity, Things to do  |  Yesterday

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Celebrate a golden era in homegrown rock at this year’s Go Live Festival produced by Christchurch City Council.

The lineup features old school metal rock group Push Push, early noughties alt-rock powerhouse Pluto and longtime Kiwi favourites Opshop.

The Auckland-based four-piece will be headlining the Radio Hauraki festival mainstage armed with a catalogue of hits that defined a generation of Kiwi pop-rock, including One Day, Maybe and Love will Always Win. 

"Opshop is one of New Zealand's best loved bands and they're epic live performers so it's going to be a magic night for Kiwi music lovers,” says Council Events and Arts Manager Lucy Blackmore.

Fans of multi-layered Kiwi rock will also get to experience the musical genius of Pluto, marking 21 years since their watershed 2005 album Pipeline Under the Ocean went double platinum.

Rounding out this golden trio is New Zealand’s answer to Whitesnake, Push Push who emerged from suburban North Shore in the mid-80s.

Push Push went on to open for AC/DC in front of 40,000 people at Mount Smart Stadium in 1991 and released their debut and only album A Trillion Shades of Happy the following year, winning best group and best video for chart-topping single Trippin’ at the New Zealand Music Awards and putting lead singer Mikey Havoc on the map.

The band broke up in the mid-90s, but their original lineup has reformed for a series of reunion shows this year.

“Grab your leather jacket and take a nostalgia trip to the nineties, when big hair and big guitar ruled!” Ms Blackmore says.

"They'll be joined by Lyttleton based supergroup The Eastern, indie folk-pop festival favourites There’s a Tuesday, doyens of the Christchurch underground music scene Into the Void, Ōtautahi alt-rockers Volts and more, along with the 2026 winners of Dig the Gig."

Festival attendees can see their pick of the 13 acts across four stages at the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 22 August, from 7.15pm to 11pm.

Earlybird tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster from 10am Wednesday 18 March, $30 plus booking fees.

Check out all the details, including artist bios and where to get tickets, at What’s On.