KIA ORA EVERYONE!
We’re so happy to share that we will soon be officially hitting the road (on Friday) for our Sonia & Nigel musical tour of Aotearoa New Zealand!
We’re travelling in our trusty hybrid Toyota, making our way from Auckland all the way down to Dunedin throughout late October and November 2025 🚗 Beep beep mmh beep beep Yeah!
✨ Auckland — A Beautiful Beginning
Our tour kicked off in the Auckland region, and what a start it was!
We had two wonderful shows — October 11th at Parāoa Brewing Co. in Whangaparāoa and October 17th at Rafters on Ponsonby Road. The warmth and support from everyone who came out to those gigs has set the tone for the whole adventure. Thank you, Tāmaki Makaurau, for a beautiful send-off. 💛
🚗 On the Road: North to South
Next, we’ll be heading to Wellington (October 24th), with a cozy house concert in Taupō on the way. On October 27th, we’ll play our very first Bands on Board concert aboard the Interislander ferry Kaitaki.
We’ll reach Picton just in time to celebrate Sonia’s birthday on October 28th with our Picton musical whānau, before heading to Nelson, where Nigel will perform with Manjit Singh and his Indo-jazz fusion band Takadimi at the Nelson Arts Festival.
Then it’s back to Picton for a special trio concert (Sonia & Nigel + Manjit on tabla) at the Little Theatre on Halloween 🎃.
🌿 Nelson & Beyond
On November 1st, we return to Nelson for a show at the charming Ruby Bay Store Theatre, where we can’t wait to reconnect with our friends from the Nelson ukulele band the Plinkers 🦆🎶.
For full concert details and ticket links, you can always visit:
👉 www.sonianigelmusic.com/shows
🏛 Christchurch, Geraldine & Dunedin
November 2nd brings one of the biggest moments of the tour: performing at the Great Hall of Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre of Christchurch. We’re both thrilled and honoured to be playing in such a stunning historic space! Please let all your friends and family in Christchurch know about this one 😊🎶😊
On November 4th, we return to the wonderful Geraldine Academy of Performance & Arts where we have enjoyed playing a couple times before, and then on November 5th, we’ll share music at a house concert in Dunedin, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.
🐦 Back North Again
On November 7th, we’re playing at the Pigeon Bay Community Hall, followed on Saturday by an evening gig at Akaroa’s Grand Hotel on November 8th — thanks to our host, Ben Campbell of Zed fame.
After a short rest, we’ll be back aboard the Kaitaki for another Bands on Board performance as we cross back to Wellington.
🍽 A Delicious Invitation
Earlier this year, we performed at the Alliance Française in Wellington — and as a result, we’ve been invited to perform at the 130th Gala Dinner of the famous Wellington culinary school Le Cordon Bleu! This is such a special honour, marking the school’s founding in Paris in 1895. We can’t wait to bring some French musical flair to such a historic celebration.
🌿 Workshops & Hilltop Concert
We’re also delighted to be returning to the Hilltop house concert series near the Wellington cable car and botanical gardens on November 15th. The following day (Nov 16th), we’ll offer two workshops:
🎼 French music and
🎸 Guitar/ukulele/singing.
More details will follow as we travel up the East Coast of the North Island — but that’s already a pretty packed tour diary!
☕ Why We’re Here on Buy Me a Coffee
This tour is entirely self-booked and mostly self-funded. Every bit of support — whether it’s buying a coffee, coming to a gig, or sharing our shows with friends — makes a real difference. Your generosity helps us cover travel, gear, and keep the music alive on the road.
We’re celebrating our shared journey through music and looking ahead to our 10th anniversary trip to France in 2026. Inspired by our dear friend Linn Lorkin’s song, we’ve called this tour:
✨ “When I See Paris Again.”
We’ll be playing favourites from Sweet Paname alongside new songs we’ve been crafting for this special journey.
“Alone, it’s just a journey. Now adventures, they must be shared.” – LOTR
We can’t wait to share these adventures, songs, and moments with you all.
Thank you for being part of our story. ❤️🎶
À bientôt,
xoxo Sonia & Nigel
P.S. Huge thanks to Sonia’s talented mum, Karen Sheckler Wilson, for designing our tour poster! 🎨