Celebrate New Year's Eve 2025: Family Fun on George Street, Concert in the Octagon
From 5pm–8.30pm, the Golden Block, George Street is alive with family-friendly entertainment, face painting, workshops, and more. At 8pm, a Kids’ Countdown with confetti cannons kicks off, followed by a short parade leading families down to the Octagon accompanied by live musicians.
From 8.30pm, the celebration moves to the Octagon for an unforgettable night of live music. MC Alan Ned Gray will bring his decades of stage experience, charm, and engaging presence to guide the evening. Deaf Racoon open the show with their electrifying energy, followed by the high-octane sounds of SEEK HELP! IVY’s brooding, alt-pop tunes will captivate the crowd, before The Ōtepoti All-Stars close the night with their irresistible, groove-filled funk.
The Upper Octagon will feature stunning light installations, and food trucks will keep you fuelled throughout the night.
At midnight, join the countdown accompanied by a piper as the New Year begins!
It’s Dunedin’s must-attend event to welcome 2026 in style!
What’s On & When?
Kids Fun Zone (Golden Block, George St)
5pm
Kids Countdown / Parade to the Octagon
8pm
Deaf Racoon
8:30pm
SEEK HELP!
9:15pm
IVY
10pm
The Ōtepoti All-Stars
11pm
For safety reasons please do not bring fireworks or alcohol to this event.
Featured Performers
Alan Ned Gray
Alan Ned Gray is a versatile entertainer whose four-decade career has made him a well-loved figure in the music and arts community. Originally from Ireland, he moved to New Zealand in 2008 and quickly became a mainstay of the Dunedin scene. Known for his work as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and DJ, Alan brings decades of stage experience to every performance. This year, he returns with his trademark charm to MC an unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration.
Deaf Racoon
Deaf Raccoon are an alt punk/ power pop trio consisting of Jamie Bradfield, Noelle Hill and Christopher B Body. Their music consists of catchy hook melodies to get you grooving, unconventional song structures and a whiny vocalist. Their lyrics often amount to bull honkey with no actual meaning but sometimes the bull honkey does have meaning so you can never really tell what’s important.
Seek Help!
SEEK HELP! is a 4-piece riot grrrl band from Ōtepoti, Dunedin with the goal to empower queer and fem voices within the scene and inspire political action in youth. Placing 3rd in the Rockquest Nationals their unwavering noise calls for empowerment and inclusivity of one another, and anger towards those who take that away. Inspired by the feminist punk movement SEEK HELP! put together an attention-grabbing show combining inspirations from bands such as Babe Haven, Bikini Kill, and Hole and making it their own.
IVY
IVY have fast become one of Dunedin’s must-see acts, evolving from their debut single ‘Stranger’ into a darker, more brooding alt-pop sound. Blending heavenly vocals with raw, retro-tinged instrumentation, their music carries a powerful nostalgic pull that has earned national attention.
Their single ‘Heartless’ landed in Happy Mag’s Top 8 NZ tracks of 2023, leading to high-profile support slots, major festival appearances, and a rapid rise in fans and streams. With new releases on the horizon and momentum building fast, IVY are quickly becoming one of Aotearoa’s most exciting emerging bands.
The Ōtepoti All-Stars
The Ōtepoti All-Stars unite 14 of Dunedin’s finest musicians in a powerhouse collective devoted to delivering high-energy, feel-good funk. With five powerhouse vocalists, a full brass section, and a driving rhythm crew, they transform crowd favourites into electrifying, groove-heavy hits.
Their signature blend of tight musicianship and explosive performance energy turns every show into an instant party. Get ready—this all-star lineup is set to make New Year’s Eve one of Dunedin’s funkiest celebrations yet.
