Chart-topping girl group announce NZ show after 'wild' cryptic clue

One of the world’s most popular, in-demand girl groups will bring their record-breaking tour to New Zealand next year.

Gabriela hitmakers Katseye will touch down for one show at Auckland’s Spark Arena on March 5, marking their first New Zealand performance.

The announcement follows a series of cryptic marketing clues across Australasia, with the word “wild” appearing lit up on buildings in Auckland and Sydney.

The group’s latest EP, Wild, reached No 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart this year, and their hit Pinky Up is quickly gaining traction on TikTok.

Based in Los Angeles, Katseye features members from around the globe, including Sophia Laforteza (Philippines), Manon Bannerman (Switzerland), Daniela Avanzini, Lara Rajagopalan, Megan Skiendiel (United States) and Jeung Yoon-chae (South Korea).

Bannerman is currently on a break from the group, while Laforteza is scheduled to return in January after a brief hiatus.

Katseye’s music quickly gained popularity for combining Western pop with elements of Y2K and Latin pop.

They got their start after competing in the 2023 season of the US-Korean reality competition series The Debut: Dream Academy and subsequently starred in their own Netflix documentary, Pop Star Academy: Katseye.

This year’s dates for the group’s WildWorld tour in Europe, the United Kingdom and North America sold out within 48 hours. It has been touted as one of the year’s most anticipated tours, with performances at festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza adding to the hype.

A documentary featuring never-before-seen footage, Katseye: Wild Hearts, screened in about 1700 cinemas across 61 countries and offered an inside look at the group’s new era and connection with fans.

Artist ticket presales begin on November 4, with general tickets on sale at 2pm on November 6. Full ticketing details are at livenation.co.nz.