Wunderbar [https://thebigcity.co.nz/resources/venues/wunderbar]
Quirky two-room bar built into the hillside of Lyttelton, opened in 1991 by German publican Jörg Schwarz with a distinctly Berlin-influenced interior. One of the port town's best-loved live music venues.

Family Cactus [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/f/family-cactus]
Wellington seven-piece indie pop and psych-folk band who released two albums on Arch Hill Recordings: Come Howling (2009) and Spirit Lights (2011). Known for their orchestral arrangements, the band wove guitars, organs, piano, synth, and autoharp into lush, expansive soundscapes.

Princess Chelsea [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/c/princess-chelsea]
Auckland electropop singer-songwriter Chelsea Nikkel, recording as Princess Chelsea on Lil' Chief Records. Her four albums — from Lil' Golden Book (2011) to Everything Is Going To Be Alright (2022) — blend satirical wit with maximalist chamber pop. Winner of the 2023 Taite Music Prize.

Erny Belle [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/b/erny-belle]
Ngāpuhi singer-songwriter whose alt-folk, country, and Pacific pop-tinged music is rooted in the Kaipara and her whakapapa. Her two Flying Nun albums — Venus Is Home (2022) and Not Your Cupid (2023) — established her as one of Aotearoa's most distinctive voices.

All Seeing Hand [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/a/all-seeing-hand]
Wellington experimental trio combining Synthi AKS synthesis, throat singing and turntables in dense improvisational soundscapes.

Beach Pigs [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/b/beach-pigs]
Auckland indie and pop-punk four-piece who released their debut EP on Arch Hill Recordings in 2012, followed by the album Grom Warfare in 2014. Known for their high-energy live shows and sun-soaked guitar pop.

Beastwars [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/b/beastwars]
Wellington sludge metal band whose 2019 album IV debuted at number one on the NZ Albums Chart.

Purple Pilgrims [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/p/purple-pilgrims]
New Zealand sister duo Clementine and Valentine Nixon — great-granddaughters of Scottish folk musician Davie Stewart — whose devotional dream pop spans Not Not Fun Records and Flying Nun. Albums: Eternal Delight (2016) and Perfumed Earth (2019). Now also recording as Clementine Valentine.

Glass Vaults [https://thebigcity.co.nz/artists/g/glass-vaults]
Wellington electronic pop duo Richard Larsen and Rowan Pierce, whose albums have been released on Flying Out and UK label Melodic.

What’s new: artist profiles, Musician Index, and Radio! [https://thebigcity.co.nz/rambling/whats-new-march-2026]
A roundup of recent updates: 18 new and refreshed artist profiles, a new Musician Index under Resources, and the brand-new thebigcity.co.nz: Radio! streaming playlist.