Beloved Aotearoa festival Tora Bombora announces its revival

“Five incredible festivals. Four years of hiatus. One coastline calling us in.”

One of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s most beloved boutique festivals, Tora Bombora, has this afternoon announced its much-anticipated return in January of 2027. The festival, known for its more intimate approach to crowd and curation, will soundtrack the coastline of its home in Tora, Wairarapa, and expand its attendance to 2,000.

Tora Bombora, first started in 2019, has developed a habit of selling out incredibly quickly, both due to its limited capacity and its knack for spotlighting Aotearoa's most exciting new talent.

A story common among many events like it, the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of personal circumstances led to an unexpected hiatus, in which the hunger for its revival has grown year on year. At a time when music festivals have never been more commercialised, the announcement of its fifth year couldn’t have come at a more meaningful time.

The festival’s organiser, Louis Murphy Harris, shared his excitement at such a long hiatus finally coming to an appropriately timed close:

“After four years away, bringing Tora Bombora back feels incredibly special. The world – and our little corner of Aotearoa – has changed a lot since we last gathered on the coast. The pause gave me time to travel, learn, grow, and fall back in love with the things that made Tora special in the first place. Now feels like the right time to reconnect through music, nature, and community.

There is a whakataukī that feels particularly fitting: Anō ko te marama kua ngaro, kua ara anō – like the moon that disappears and rises again. Some things aren’t gone forever. Sometimes they simply wait for the right season to return.”

For its fifth edition, that return sees Tora Bombora taking place from Friday, January 22 to Sunday, January 24, 2027.

For past visitors of Tora Bombora, the festival has shared that they are already 'Tora Bombora Whānau', which gives them first access to tickets. Newcomers are encouraged to sign up via the website for a chance to purchase any unclaimed tickets.

Tora Bombora’s lineup reveal will coincide with these remaining tickets going on sale on Monday, August 10.