Music will again play a role in the waterfront atmosphere at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland, with LEISURE (DJ set) confirmed to perform following racing on the opening day.
The Auckland based soul and electronic collective will take over Heineken House on Saturday evening, providing post-race entertainment for spectators in the Grandstand and Waterfront Premium areas. The set is described as a one-off DJ performance, assembled specifically for the event rather than a full live show.
The intention is straightforward. Once racing wraps up for the day, activity shifts ashore rather than dispersing, keeping the waterfront busy into the evening. Heineken House will again act as the focal point, with food, drinks, and music continuing immediately after the final race.
Sunday follows a similar format, with DJ Chris Keene scheduled to perform post-race. Keene is a familiar name on the local festival circuit and is expected to close out the weekend’s on-shore programme after the final races are completed.
The entertainment programme sits alongside SailGP’s return to Auckland as the second stop of the Rolex SailGP Championship 2026 season. Thirteen national teams will race identical F50 foiling catamarans, with New Zealand represented by the Black Foils, sailed by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. By the end of race 1 in Perth, there were only 11 teams in the running – Spain was out of the leg due to pre-race practice incidents, and near the start of the first race, New Zealand had its transom chopped off by the foil of Switzerland. All going well, everyone will be on the start line at Auckland.
Enirates GBR took the win in Perth. Video credit: SailGP
Racing remains the focus, but organisers continue to build out the on-shore programme around it. For ticket holders, the result is a full day on the waterfront rather than a stop-start schedule built solely around the race window.
