Messed!Up
Conan Gray has built a career out of turning the intimate details of growing up into widescreen pop. Born in California and raised in Georgetown, Texas, Gray first found an audience through YouTube, where his vlogs, covers and early songs established the conversational, confessional style that would become his trademark. That direct connection with listeners carried into his music, transforming teenage loneliness, friendship, heartbreak and nostalgia into songs that could feel intensely personal while reaching a global audience.
His 2018 EP Sunset Season introduced a distinctive songwriter with an instinct for emotional detail, but it was his 2020 debut album Kid Krow that turned Gray into a major pop presence. Peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, the album produced the enduring hit “Heather”, a wistful portrait of unrequited love that became one of his signature songs.
Gray continued to expand his sound with 2022’s Superache, embracing bigger pop arrangements without abandoning the vulnerability at the heart of his writing. Found Heaven followed in 2024, bringing an increasingly polished and dramatic dimension to his music. In 2025, he entered a new chapter with Wishbone, his fourth studio album. Produced in part by longtime collaborator Dan Nigro alongside Ethan Gruska, Noah Conrad, Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjärd, the record further established Gray as an arena-scale performer capable of balancing personal songwriting with ambitious pop production. Wishbone debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Album Sales chart and inside the Billboard 200’s Top 3, marking the biggest sales week of his career.
Now, with more than 12 billion global streams and sold-out performances at venues including Madison Square Garden, the Kia Forum and Wembley Arena, Gray is taking Wishbone around the world.
New Zealand is next. The Wishbone World Tour arrives in September 2026, with rising pop artist Esha Tewari joining Gray as special guest. The New Zealand leg culminates in Auckland on Saturday, September 26, 2026, when Gray takes over Spark Arena for what promises to be a major showcase of his evolving live spectacle. With its combination of well-crafted songwriting, arena-ready production, and the intimate connection that has defined Gray since his earliest days on YouTube, the Auckland show is set to be a standout moment of the New Zealand tour.
TICKETS for Spark Arena on 26 September
