Messed!Up
British soul-pop sensation Olivia Dean is bringing her acclaimed The Art of Loving Tour to Auckland on 17 October, with a spectacular new setting: Western Springs Bowl. The show will also mark the first concert at the newly refurbished venue, turning an already highly anticipated night into a landmark moment for Auckland’s live music scene.
Dean has built her reputation on a rare combination of her emotionally direct songwriting. Raised in East London and a graduate of the BRIT School, she first made her mark as a backing vocalist for Rudimental before stepping into the spotlight with her own music. Her debut album, Messy, arrived in 2023 and earned a Mercury Prize nomination, establishing Dean as one of the UK’s most compelling new voices.
Her second album, The Art of Loving, takes that intimate approach and opens it up into a richer blend of soul, pop and R&B. Released in 2025, the record explores love in all its forms with Dean aiming for music that feels warm, honest and joyful. Songs including “Nice to Each Other”, “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” showcase her knack for pairing classic soul influences with contemporary pop songwriting.
The Auckland date has already grown beyond its original plans. Following phenomenal demand, the show was upgraded from Spark Arena to the newly transformed Western Springs Bowl, with Dean’s entire Australian and New Zealand arena run selling out.
Joining Dean across the tour is Papua New Guinean-born Australian neo-soul artist Kaiit, making this an evening built around soulful vocals, irresistible grooves and two distinctive contemporary voices.
