Bluey's Big Play The Stage Show Arrives in Aotearoa in April 2025

★★★★★ “A glorious celebration of everything you love about the show” – The Guardian

“There’s no better show to inspire a lifelong love of the stage in your littlies” – Courier Mail, Brisbane

“This show has to be one of the best, if not the best, pieces of children's theatre and family theatre that I've ever seen.” – Broadway World 

AUCKLAND, NZ (16 Oct, 2024) – For the first time ever, hit theatre show Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show will visit Aotearoa following a global tour across Australia, UK, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, Abu Dhabi and North America.

Bluey’s Big Play, a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the BAFTA & Emmy® award-winning children’s television series produced by Ludo Studio, will hit the road in April 2025 and tour to Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland.

Tickets for all shows go on sale at 12pm local time, Wednesday 23 October.  

One NZ customers can be among the first to secure tickets during a 48-hour presale starting Friday 18 October, 12pm. Head to one.nz/rewards 

Mastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in New Zealand. Mastercard Presale starts Friday 18 October, 12pm and ends Tuesday 22 October, 11am. Plus, Preferred ticket access to some of the best tickets are available from Wednesday 23 October, 12pm. Check out priceless.com/music for details.

My Live Nation members may also secure tickets first during the pre-sale beginning Tuesday 22 October, 12pm until Wednesday 23 October, 11am.

Westfield members get access to exclusive reserved tickets. Tickets on sale from 12pm Wednesday, 23 October. Become a Westfield member by downloading the app here: westfield.co.nz/membership

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: bluey.tv/blueys-big-play/ & livenation.co.nz

Audiences of all ages will get to see Bluey, her younger sister Bingo and Mum & Dad embark on their first live theatre show, featuring brilliantly created puppets, live actors, and iconic sets. Based on an original new story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, the theatrical adaptation contains music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Bluey’s Big Play is produced by Andrew Kay and Live Nation with Windmill Theatre Co for BBC Studios.

Kate O’Connor, Director of Brands and Licensing, BBC Studios ANZ said: “Following the incredible reaction to the live theatre show in the US, UK, Australia and more, we are so excited to bring Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show to fans across New Zealand.”

“We’re thrilled to be bringing Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show to New Zealand audiences premiering at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre in April,” said director Rosemary Myers of Windmill Theatre Company. “The response to the show from fans across Australia, the US, UK and more has been nothing short of amazing and we can't wait for New Zealand families to experience all the fun and excitement of having Bluey and her family on stage live in their city."

The stage show has enjoyed much success in Australia, where it premiered in Bluey’s hometown Brisbane and went on to perform 447 times across 65 venues, including the Sydney Opera House. The tour is currently in the US where it’s played at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and the iconic Chicago Theatre. A Canadian tour was also announced earlier this year. Bluey’s Big Play is set to make its debut in Paris, France later this year. Bluey’s Big Show has been seen by nearly 1 million fans worldwide.

Since bursting on to TV screens in Australia in 2018, Bluey has enjoyed critical success at home and abroad, recently winning a 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Award in the International category and picking up its consecutive fourth AACTA Best Children’s Programme award to add to an International Emmy.

Bluey is the #1 children’s show in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Poland and South Africa. #1 on Disney Junior in the UK, and the #1 rated show on CBeebies in the UK. Bluey is the number one most-watched series on streaming among total views in the US, with over 35 billion minutes watched (584M hours),[i] according to Nielson data. Bluey also remains popular on Neon and TVNZ+ which broadcast Bluey in New Zealand.

TOUR DETAILS:

REGENT THEATRE, ŌTEPOTI – DUNEDIN – SATURDAY 12 APRIL

WOLFBROOK ARENA, ŌTAUTAHI – CHRISTCHURCH – TUESDAY 15 & WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL

TSB ARENA, PŌNEKE – WELLINGTON – SATURDAY 19 & SUNDAY 20 APRIL

GLOBOX ARENA, KIRIKIRIROA – HAMILTON – WEDNESDAY 23 APRIL

SPARK ARENA, TĀMAKI MAKAURAU – AUCKLAND – SATURDAY 26 & SUNDAY 27 APRIL

TICKETS ON SALE WEDNESDAY 23 OCTOBER, 12PM LOCAL

One NZ & Mastercard pre-sales: Friday 18 October 12pm – Tuesday 22 October 11am local

Live Nation pre-sale: Tuesday 22 October 12pm – Wednesday 23 October 11am local
Westfield Reserved Tickets: Wednesday 23 October, 12pm - Wednesday 30 October, 12pm

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: www.bluey.tv/blueys-big-play/ and www.livenation.co.nz

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About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit livenationentertainment.com.

About Bluey

Bluey is produced by BAFTA & Multi Emmy® Award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC KIDS (Australia) and co-commissioned by ABC Children’s and BBC Studios Kids & Family. Financed in association with Screen Australia, Bluey is proudly 100% created, written, animated, and post produced in Brisbane Queensland, Australia, with funding from the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and the Australian Government.

About Ludo Studio

Ludo Studio is a BAFTA, multi-Emmy®, Logie and Peabody award-winning Australian studio and one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies of 2024, that creates and produces original scripted drama, animation and digital stories that are authored by incredible local talent, distributed globally and loved by audiences everywhere. ludostudio.com.au

About BBC Studios Kids & Family

BBC Studios Kids & Family is an integral part of the BBC Studios content powerhouse – a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group which produces, invests and distributes content globally.   

With specialist knowledge of what makes young audiences tick, BBC Studios Kids & Family identifies, nurtures and invests in great projects and turns them into global hits, seamlessly taking content from conception, development and production to franchise management and distribution.  

The division’s multi-genre portfolio includes some of the most exciting and successful franchises in the world with BAFTA and International Emmy winning craft and storytelling, including Bluey, Hey Duggee, Hey Duggee's Squirrel Club, Deadly Mission Shark, Andy’s Amazing Adventures, Supertato, and Popularity Papers.   

The division’s ever-growing slate also includes Rafi the Wishing Wizard, Stan Can, Peter & The Wolf, and Pickle Storm, as well as established UK hits and iconic shows such as Blue Peter, The Dumping Ground, JoJo & Gran Gran, The Beaker Girls, Lagging and CBeebies: Shakespeare at the Globe.  

Its productions air on channels and leading content platforms around the world including CBeebies, CBBC, Disney, ABC Australia, Tencent China and Nickelodeon. 

About BBC Studios Brands & Licensing  

BBC Studios Brands & Licensing is the driving force behind innovative brand extensions that excite audiences across the world. We excel at amplifying and extending BBC Studios IP in creative ways that develop and deepen fan engagement across our iconic brands including: Doctor Who, Bluey, Strictly Come Dancing / Dancing With The Stars, Top Gear and BBC Earth. Our extensive portfolio spans Consumer Products and Licensing (CP&L), including: live entertainment and attractions such as Bluey’s Big Play, Doctor Who’s World of Wonder and the Planet Earth III Live in Concert tour; branded merchandise including fashion, toys and homeware licensed to best-in-class partners; publishing that spans magazines, books, audio books and music releases; plus gaming and interactive experiences. Supported by award-winning teams, we focus on finding visionary opportunities to enhance global brand impact, digital growth and the business models of the future.  

We also operate BBC Studios Social, a digital powerhouse commissioning, curating and commercializing the digital footprint of our much-loved brands, connecting global audiences to safe, high-quality content with advertising, sponsorship, and branded content with over 6.5 billion social video views in 2023. Recognized for its excellence, BBC Studios was named the Inaugural European Publisher of the Year at the Lovies 2023. 

About HVK Productions

HVK Productions is part of the Andrew Kay group of companies, an international theater Producer and concert Promoter based in Melbourne, Australia. Andrew Kay AM has presented, produced and co-produced countless award-winning theatrical, musical and live stage events. Andrew has been one of Australia’s leading producers and presenters of children's theater including Hi-5, Bananas in Pyjamas, Cat in The Hat, Giggle and Hoot, Hairy Maclary, The Fairies, LazyTown, ABC Christmas Spectaculars, Horrible Histories - Awful Egyptians and Barmy Britain, We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Most recently he has produced the very popular Dan TDM Live and multiple tours of Operation Ouch Live and Steve Backshall’s Deadly 60 Live.

Other notable artists presented include three-time Grammy winners the Soweto Gospel Choir, Kathleen Battle, Nigel Kennedy, Kevin McCloud, Yehudi Menuin, David Helfgott, Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Patricia Routlege, Wynton Marsalis and Louis Theroux.

akaaustralia.com.au

About Windmill Theatre Company

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Windmill Theatre Company has a global reputation as a leading producer of theater for children, teenagers and families. Each year the company performs in its hometown, and tours across Australia and around the world. Over the last 17 years, Windmill has presented 63 productions including 36 brand new Australian works, performing to young audiences in 287 cities and towns across 30 countries.

windmill.org.au  

[i] Source: Nielsen Media Research, US data based on Persons 2+ time spent viewing for streaming series tracked by Nielsen through their streaming content ratings (1/1/24-7/28/24)