A staple of Auckland’s entertainment calendar, the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival is a place to let loose, unwind, and surrender to the fabulous. With the sparkling, shimmering, walking disco ball of brilliance that is Luke Bird serving as our guide for the evening, audiences were welcomed into the opulent Wintergarden at The Civic Theatre, where a carnival of curiosities awaited.

Dressed in head-to-toe sparkle and shining brighter than a Catherine wheel at full spin, Bird introduced a selection of bold, loud, and luminous acts as part of the festival’s opening gala, All That Glitters.

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Among the highlights was Tomáš Kantor, who delivered a tantalising preview of his award-winning production Sugar — a radically beautiful story of a gender-fluid twink caught up in their own personal Pretty Woman fantasy. Grinding, teasing, and inciting an almost orgasmically enthusiastic musical response from the audience, Kantor effortlessly pulled the crowd into the performance, even designating yours truly as an otter — an honour I gladly accepted. The result is a theatrical, outrageous, and undeniably sexy exploration of love, Grindr, and the importance of trusting yourself. Sugar plays Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June in the Wintergarden.

Next came a decadently delicious serving of boudoir burlesque courtesy of The Velvet Lounge and its ravishing goddesses, Michelle Kasey and Kiki Kisses. Their celebration of glamour, feathers, and scintillating sexuality was enough to turn even Luke Bird straight — for approximately thirty seconds, at least. Sitting front and centre once again proved dangerous, as Kiki made it her mission to make this redheaded reviewer blush with an unforgettable lap dance and a healthy dose of playful mischief. The Velvet Lounge plays Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 July in the Wintergarden.

The festival’s resident tarot-reading songbird Amanda Grace-Lee then took to the stage, transporting audiences with her soaring vocals and magnetic stage presence. Delivering joy, heartfelt storytelling, and powerhouse musicality, Grace-Lee offered a stirring taste of Karaoke Heaven!, a performance that quite literally threatens to raise the roof. Karaoke Heaven! plays Thursday 2 and Saturday 4 July in the Wintergarden.

Of course, no Cabaret Festival would be complete without the drag superstars of Karangahape Road institution Caluzzi Cabaret. The fabulous Anita Wigl’it (Drag Wars, House of Drag, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under) exploded onto the stage with an all-singing, all-dancing celebration that was bigger, bolder, and more fabulous than ever. With men literally raining from the heavens and a healthy dose of outrageous humour, this special 30th Anniversary event promises to be a standout attraction. Caluzzi Cabaret plays Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June in the Wintergarden.

Bringing All That Glitters to a triumphant close was Simply Brill, featuring three of Australia’s most accomplished cabaret performers — Amelia Ryan, Michaela Burger, and Michael Griffiths. Delivering a vibrant, funny, and deeply moving musical journey through the legendary Brill Building songbook, the trio filled the room with pure 1960s charm, infectious energy, and timeless class. Simply Brill plays Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June.

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Following this sparkling opening showcase, audiences made their way into The Civic’s inner sanctum for Cheeky Cabaret — a riotous, genre-bending celebration of pure debaucherous decadence. Part vaudeville, part circus, part comedy, part burlesque, and very much R18, this deliciously naughty production delights in pushing boundaries. Equal parts shocking and spellbinding, it leaves audiences grinning from ear to ear while marvelling at the extraordinary talent on display.

Running from Wednesday 24 to Saturday 28 June, Cheeky Cabaret is about as far from a vanilla experience as you can possibly get, and this maxed-out spectacle is something you’ll definitely want to experience for yourself.

Delivering a cocktail of absolute splendour straight up, garnished with extravagant energy and a healthy serving of glitter, the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival 2026 is a bawdy, rambunctious, colourful, and utterly sparkling night out. Whether you’re seeking laughter, music, burlesque, drag, or something delightfully unexpected, this year’s festival has it all. And trust me — you won’t want to miss it.

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