Zara Larsson was overcome. A 59-second clip shared on X shows the Swedish pop star outside Auckland’s Spark Arena, hands pressed to her face, as Māori performers give her a pōwhiri, a traditional welcome ceremony. “Zara crying while watching the welcoming ceremony the Māori people in New Zealand prepared for her,” the post reads. Larsson and her touring crew were welcomed with a pōwhiri from local iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Rolling Stone AU/NZ reports, before two shows that broke the venue’s attendance record.
Watch: Zara Larsson’s pōwhiri in Auckland
What happened
The clip opens with Larsson walking across the arena’s back lot in a purple mini dress, with a clip in her hair. She joins her team in a line facing the loading dock. A man in traditional Māori dress leads the welcome, and a group in red and black performs. Larsson watches with her hands clasped, then pressed over her mouth. At the end the two groups pose together for a photo.
The NZ Herald credits its photo of the welcome to Te Whare Karioi and says Larsson received the pōwhiri before her record-breaking Spark Arena show. “Larsson’s love of New Zealand was on show throughout the two performances,” the Herald writes: she walked out on Sunday to Pātea Māori Club’s 1983 hit “Poi E” and sang a short cover of Lorde’s “Royals” at a VIP soundcheck.
Her first New Zealand shows broke a record twice
These were her first concerts in New Zealand. A second Auckland night on Monday, Oct. 26, was added after the Sunday show sold out, Rova reported. Then the crowds came:
- Sunday, Oct. 25: 12,796 people, the biggest single-night crowd in Spark Arena’s 19-year history.
- Monday, Oct. 26: 12,798, beating her own record from the night before.
- The old record: 12,736, set by Linkin Park in March 2026.
“Breaking the all-time record at Spark Arena is a rarefied achievement amongst the many legendary names who have played the venue over the last 19 years – to do it twice, on consecutive nights, is incredible,” Live Nation promoter Mike Ross said. A few days earlier she played the biggest headline show of her career, to almost 18,000 fans at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena, Rolling Stone says. Auckland closed the Australia and New Zealand leg of her Midnight Sun Tour, named after her fourth album.
Photos: the welcome and Zara’s 2026 looks
More of Zara Larsson on Scandal Planet
Zara doesn’t do nude scenes. She’s a pop star, not an actress. Her sexiest moments are on stage and in magazine shoots, and her Scandal Planet hub ranks the best of 2026: the Allure corset shoot, the floral bra set at All Points East, the metallic Lollapalooza look and the coastal shoot.
See Zara Larsson’s hottest looks, ranked →
What’s confirmed and what isn’t
Confirmed by Rolling Stone AU/NZ and the NZ Herald: the pōwhiri, the two Spark Arena shows and both attendance records. Rolling Stone names the iwi as Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei; the Herald’s photo is credited to Te Whare Karioi. The clip was posted by a fan account on X and matches the arena’s loading dock. We couldn’t find the original upload, and Larsson hasn’t commented on the moment publicly that we could find.
FAQ
Why did Zara Larsson get a pōwhiri in New Zealand?
A pōwhiri is the traditional Māori welcome ceremony. Zara Larsson and her touring crew were welcomed to Auckland with one from local iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei before her Spark Arena shows, Rolling Stone AU/NZ reports.
Was this Zara Larsson’s first time performing in New Zealand?
Yes. Her Midnight Sun Tour dates at Spark Arena on Oct. 25 and 26, 2026, were her first New Zealand shows, according to the tour announcement.
What record did Zara Larsson break in Auckland?
The biggest single-night crowd in Spark Arena’s 19-year history: 12,796 on Sunday, then 12,798 on Monday, beating Linkin Park’s 12,736 from earlier in 2026.
How old is Zara Larsson?
She is 28. She was born on Dec. 16, 1997, in Stockholm, Sweden.
Video: via @venusjmi on X. Stage, editorial and appearance photos via CelebMafia (All Points East, Lollapalooza Berlin, Allure, coastal shoot, Glamour Australia, iHeartRadio, Perfect). Used for news reporting and commentary.
