19 April 2022 - 0 Comments

One of reggae’s most successful acts UB40 will return to New Zealand this December!

The legendary British band will make their eagerly anticipated return to celebrate their 40th anniversary (2020) and to perform all their hits at shows in Napier, New Plymouth, Matakana, Tauranga, Nelson, and Queenstown.

The reggae pioneers will be joined by the legendary Jefferson Starship and Australasian heroes Dragon. Both acts will join UB40 on all six dates.

Spark presale at 12pm on Thursday April 21 - HERE

General public on sale on sale at 12pm on Tuesday April 26 - HERE

Despite the many unknowns in international touring, UB40 have stayed optimistic over the past 24 months, taking the time to perfect their brand-new live show, just for NZ audiences.

“We always look forward to trips down under,” said the band in a statement today.
“It’s one of our favourite places in the world to perform, but with so many uncertainties in the world these past two years, we felt it was far more important to focus on everyone’s safety. Now that borders have reopened, we’re finally ready to get back to New Zealand and perform the show fans have been waiting for!”

The New Zealand tour will offer audiences a taste of classic hits like Food for Thought, 1 in 10, Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and Can’t Help Falling In Love With You, as well as tracks from the latest releases For The Many and Bigga Baggariddim, which will be performed live in New Zealand for the first time.

UB40 is one of the UK’s biggest exports. They have achieved more than 40 top 40 hits in their native Britain. With international sales of over 100 million records, the band are one of the biggest UK music acts of all time and continue to record charting albums while touring across the world including regular trips to New Zealand, where they have firmly found a place in the hearts of fans.

After four decades of success including their hit singles, international stadium tours and festival headline slots, the band suffered the devastating loss of founder member, lyricist and lead sax player Brian Travers who lost his long battle with cancer in 2021. Although "There is a giant Brian shaped hole that can never be filled", they continue with the surviving key founding members and songwriting core, staying true to and building on the legacy and ethos of the band.

UB40 are founder members Robin Campbell (vocals and guitar), Earl Falconer (bass, vocal), Jimmy Brown (drums) and Norman Hassan (percussion, vocals) with new lead vocalist Matt Doyle. The band also features Martin Meredith (sax) and Laurence Parry (trumpet), who have both been in UB40’s touring and recording line-up for over 20 years, Tony Mullings (keyboards) and Ian Thompson (sax) creating a genre-defining synergy of horns and rhythm section that are uniquely UB40.

Joining UB40 at all six New Zealand dates are the legendary Jefferson Starship and Kiwi heroes, Dragon.

Jefferson Starship rose from the ashes of another legendary San Francisco band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, Jefferson Airplane. Between 1974 and 1984, the band released eight gold and platinum albums and 20 hit singles, including We Built This City, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now, Sara, Volunteers, White Rabbit, Wooden Ships, Somebody to Love, Today, Miracles, Count on Me, Fast Buck Freddie, Jane and Find Your Way Back. They also sold out concerts worldwide and lived out legendary rock and roll escapades.

Today's Jefferson Starship remains dedicated to breathing new life into the living catalogue of the Jeffersonian legacy, going to the edge, pushing the sonic boundaries and staying true to the original spirit of the music.

Meanwhile, representing homegrown talent is the one and only Dragon. The Kiwi rockers boast hits such as April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough, Rain and Still In Love With You, and remain one of New Zealand’s most popular live acts. They were inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2011 and with Todd Hunter and Mark Williams at the helm, they have continued to delight Kiwi crowds wherever they play.

Held at the height of summer, UB40 with special guests Jefferson Starship and Dragon promises to put on a show like no other. With back-to-back hits; the perfect concert settings and summer in full swing; this is not to be missed.

Neptune Entertainment in association with Mai and The Breeze presents UB40
with special guests Jefferson Starship and Dragon
New Zealand tour 2022, 2023:

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