Josh Groban – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre: February 25, 2026 (13th Floor Concert Review)
JOSH GROBAN delighted thousands of fans in Auckland last night with a programme of classic hits and covers. The 13th Floor’s Carin Newbould was there to check out the crooner, with Chris Zwaagdyk photographing the man in action.
JOSH GROBAN delivered an Auckland show worthy of the Las Vegas residency he completed at Caesars Palace last year. Showcasing several of his favourite hits, alongside a number of familiar songs from movie soundtracks, he captivated a somewhat mature audience with a tight and smooth 90 minute set.
It’s not often the Aotea Centre is fully seated twenty minutes before curtain up, but that’s what happened last night. The bars and foyers were empty, as punters clearly couldn’t wait for the show to begin… the anticipation was high for Groban’s first visit to Aotearoa in 13 years. He’s been pretty busy in the meantime, flogging over 35 million albums to date, including recent release (and tour title) Gems.
He starts with You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up), and it’s immediately clear how much Groban IS loved, starting his vocals offstage before strolling on to rapturous applause. He’s brought all the Vegas razzmatazz with him, with his band supplemented by the Metropolitan Orchestra of New Zealand, heavy on the strings needed to deliver much of the programme. He’s also enlisted the support of the Auckland Gospel Choir, who wander on and off stage intermittently, multiplying like tribbles throughout the night from 4, to 8, to 12. Everyone, without exception, is dressed in “All Blacks”, leading to an inevitable Kiwi gag. Groban thanked the audience for coming out and wryly referred to the change of venue (the gig was originally scheduled for Spark Arena), joking that his management had overestimated his popularity in New Zealand and he “wasn’t very famous here”. The Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre proved a far more suitable choice though, pretty much packed and with more comfortable seating for the geriatric bums to inhabit for the show.
Groban’s got a lot going for him – a fabulous voice, songwriting skills and an easy stage presence: he reckons he’s “a ham onstage, an introvert offstage”. There’s definitely a bit of hamming going on – not to mention an element of cheese – but it’s pulled off with charm, passion and sincerity. He’s not afraid to deliver a programme that’s familiar and comfortable, mixing his own hits with covers and a number of Gems from the silver screen. Pure Imagination, from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a cover of Adele’s Skyfall and the Godfather theme Brucia la terra, are all beautifully delivered. Groban’s famously a renaissance man, with broad interests and talents, including the ability to sing in other languages: he effortlessly switches to Italian for Alla luce del sole and Spanish for Alejate, his interpretation of Celine Dion’s Just Walk Away.
We’re given a varied setlist, from the gospel vibes of Granted, a heartfelt ditty “about gratitude”, to a cover of Robbie Williams’ Angels – Groban “is straight, but thinks Robbie is supercool”, telling of Williams’ gift of white roses after hearing the cover online during lockdown. He tells us that he “loves singing other people’s songs” but also delivers his own compositions including the reflective and lovely February Song, performed with indisputable skill on the piano, as is the instrumental piece The Wandering Kind. Grobin switches to drums for a rousing and passionate solo. Showing off or just having fun? It showed his muso credentials alongside the other performers on stage, including MD and lead guitarist Tariqh Akoni, whose extended Spanish guitar intro for Alejate was mesmerising.
He’s also supportive of new artists, heading the Find Your Light Foundation in the US, which encourages young people to make their mark through creativity and culture. In Auckland he does this through showcasing Alayna, a young Kiwi singer from Rotorua – see our review of her new album Set Her Free and and MusicTalk interview here on The 13th Floor. Alayna sang her track Hold Me with sensitivity and confidence, before duetting with Groban for a nuanced version of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now.
The end of the set featured upbeat Be Alright, with gospel vibes and enthusiastic clapping from the audience. It would have proven perfect as a big finish, had Groban not been holding back his big guns – the inevitable You Raise Me Up, which he describes as “a modern classic” (not a humble brag particularly, as he didn’t write it). It’s certainly anthemic and rousing. He returns to the stage for a more contemplative encore – following an impromptu haka from an audience member in the front row – the oh-so-familiar Over the Rainbow and an uplifting and powerful Bridge Over Troubled Water. Like many of our American musical visitors these days, Groban used his trip to Aotearoa to comment on what’s going on back home and how fortunate we are to be removed from the madness… “People turn to song for hope”. I’m not sure the audience last night were looking for hope, just an enjoyable, flawless trip through a varied programme… and from Groban, they got exactly what it says on the tin – Gems.
Carin Newbould
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Chris Zwaagdyk:
Josh Graban Setlist:
- You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)
- The World We Knew (Over and Over) (Frank Sinatra cover)
- Pure Imagination (Gene Wilder cover)
- Granted
- The Wandering Kind
- February Song
- Angels (Robbie Williams cover)
- Alla luce del sole
- Alejate (Celine Dion cover – translated into Spanish)
- ALAYNA – Hold Me (solo)
- DUET WITH ALAYNA – Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell cover)
- Brucia la terra (Nino Rota cover)
- Skyfall (Adele cover)
- To Where You Are
- Be Alright
- You Raise Me Up (Secret Garden and Brian Kennedy cover)
Encore
- Over The Rainbow (Judy Garland cover)
- Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
