BEN ELTON ANNOUNCES NEW CITIES TO HIS 2025 NEW ZEALAND AUTHENTIC STUPIDITY TOUR
Just give him a stage and a microphone and Ben Elton is the best. No contest'
The Sunday Times
‘Elton’s timing and phrasing remain impeccable, his structure is masterly’
Daily Telegraph
‘There is nothing, absolutely nothing, to beat Ben Elton live!’
Evening Standard
‘Vital, relevant and passionate’
The Scotsman
AUCKLAND, NZ (11 MARCH, 2025) – New cities have today been announced for Ben Elton, the undisputed godfather of modern stand-up’s brand-new live show – Authentic Stupidity.
Ben will now play Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga, Napier and Dunedin alongside his dates in Wellington, Auckland and Christchuch across April and May.
Tickets for all new shows will go on sale at 12pm on Thursday 13thMarch. For complete tour and ticket information, visit: livenation.co.nz.
The world has changed a lot since Ben last toured - a whole new existential threat has emerged to challenge our very existence: Artificial Intelligence. Apparently, it’s going to render all human life meaningless, but Ben is here to warn you that AI is not the greatest threat that we face; it’s Authentic Stupidity!
Ben said: “The verdict’s in! Humanity is thick! Homo halfwit. The idiot branch of the Ape family! We need signs to tell us to step off escalators, we elect gibbering fools to lead us and now we’ve invented Artificial Intelligence which is actually going to replace us! I’ve spent 45 years in comedy exploring the outer limits of human idiocy and my mission has never been more timely. Forget AI! It’s AS we need to be worrying about!”
Ben Elton’s multi-award-winning career spans over four decades and includes seminal and groundbreaking television shows (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Upstart Crow), West End plays (Popcorn, Upstart Crow), West End musicals (We Will Rock You, The Beautiful Game, Close up: The Twiggy Musical), best-selling novels (Stark, Dead Famous, Two Brothers) and feature films (Maybe Baby, Three Summers, All is True).
In October last year, Ben returned to Channel 4 for a one-off revival of Friday Night Live to rave reviews. The reincarnation of the original smash-hit Saturday Night Live was critically acclaimedand Ben won the BAFTA for Comedy Entertainment Programme 2023.
BEN ELTON
AUTHENTIC STUPIDITY NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2025
NEW SHOW - CLARENCE ST THEATRE, HAMILTON
SATURDAY APRIL 19
NEW SHOW - SIR HOWARD MORRISON CENTRE, ROTORUA
TUESDAY APRIL 22
NEW SHOW – BAYCOURT ADDISON THEATRE, TAURANGA
WEDNESDAY APRIL 23
MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON
SATURDAY APRIL 26
KIRI TE KINAWA THEATRE, AUCKLAND
MONDAY APRIL 28
NEW SHOW - NAPIER MUNICIPAL THEATRE, NAPIER
WEDNESDAY APRIL 30
NEW SHOW - TOWN HALL, DUNEDIN
THURSDAY MAY 1
TOWN HALL, CHRISTCHURCH
FRIDAY MAY 2
NEW SHOW TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 13 AT 12PM
For complete tour and ticket information, visit: benelton.live & livenation.co.nz
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For all tour-related enquiries, contact:
818 Entertainment
Bex Martelletti
bex@818.co.nz
+64 27 528 6839
Live Nation Australasia
Nathan Thompson
Nathan.Thompson@livenation.com.au
To apply for media credentials for show coverage: media accreditation request form