Direct from the front lines of Aotearoa’s live music scene, the eighth edition of the annual exhibition brings together photographers working in the thick of it, documenting New Zealand artists performing in venues across the motu.

100 images. 58 photographers. One portrait of Aotearoa’s live music scene.

The 2026 exhibition takes the form of a 10-minute Audio Visual slideshow, featuring 100 photographs by 58 photographers selected from submissions across the country. Focused entirely on New Zealand musicians performing in local venues, the work captures the intensity, atmosphere, and fleeting moments that define live performance.

Premiered at the Taite Music Prize, the AV pairs photography with a soundtrack from Aotearoa artists Corella and Te Matatini, Powder Chutes, and Emerson—bringing it all together in a single moving exhibition.

For 2026, FromThePit is also presented in large-scale lightbox displays by Auckland Live, appearing in the Lightboxes at Te Komititanga and Karanga Plaza in central Auckland from the 5^th to 27 May.

Four giant Phantom Billsticker posters are currently on display in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington until May 10^th, and the AV will be shown regularly during May on a giant screen outside Spark Arena.

More than an exhibition, FromThePit is building a living archive of Aotearoa’s music culture—a growing visual record of the artists, venues, and moments that define the country’s live music scene.

The exhibition is now live online and screening in venues across Aotearoa throughout May, extending the exhibition to communities nationwide as part of New Zealand Music Month.

Explore the full collection, revisit past years, or find out where to catch FromThePit near you at FromThePit.co.nz.

FromThePit 2026 is made possible through partnerships with Sony, Audioculture | Iwi Waiata, Auckland Council | Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland UNESCO City of Music | Tāmaki Makaurau UNESCO Pā Puoro, NZ Music Month | Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, Independent Music NZ (IMNZ), New Zealand Music Commission | Te Reo Reka o Aotearoa, and Agentx.

Designed and curated by some of Aotearoa’s leading live music photographers—Dave Simpson, Chontalle Musson, Stella Gardiner, Jennifer de Koning and Brenna Gotje — FromThePit 2026 is a powerful tribute to the artists, photographers, and communities that bring our music culture to life.

For updates, follow the exhibition and photography collective FromThePit on social media: