Lorde album and New Zealand tour

The story so far

Singer Lorde staged a surprise pop-up gig at the YMCA on Vincent Street in Auckland's CBD in May 2025, after cryptic social media posts drew fans into the city centre.^{28 May 2025} The following day she appeared on the red carpet at the Aotearoa Music Awards, where she discussed her upcoming album, Virgin, and hinted at a possible future tour.^{29 May 2025} Virgin was released on 27 June, and Lorde marked the launch with a surprise 11.30am set at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, which hundreds of fans attended.^{28 May 2025; 28 Jun 2025} In early July, a deleted article suggested she might perform in Auckland and Christchurch in 2026, after New Zealand had been left out of her Ultrasound world tour dates.^{9 Jul 2025}

What's next

The New Zealand shows are scheduled for February 2026 as part of the Ultrasound World Tour.^{11 Jul 2025}

Key moments

1. 28 May 2025Surprise pop-up gig at the YMCA in Auckland CBD, announced via cryptic posts.
2. 29 May 2025Red carpet appearance at Aotearoa Music Awards; hinted at a future tour.
3. 28 Jun 2025Surprise 11.30am Glastonbury set to celebrate the release of Virgin.
4. 9 Jul 2025Deleted article suggests Auckland and Christchurch tour dates in 2026.
5. 11 Jul 2025Confirmed February 2026 New Zealand dates at Spark Arena and Wolfbrook Arena.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.