Legendary Guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka Brings First World Tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2026
Live Nation has announced the next chapter of City Pop Waves, a headline show series spotlighting iconic Japanese City Pop artists, with legendary guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka bringing his first-ever world tour, SUPER TAKANAKA WORLD LIVE 2026, to Australia and New Zealand this April.
Following the sold-out success of his Los Angeles performances earlier this year, Takanaka will bring his vibrant, surf-inspired fusion sound to local audiences, marking a rare opportunity to see one of Japan’s most influential guitarists live in intimate, historic venues.
The run will kick off on Friday April 24 at Darling Harbour Theatre (ICC Sydney), followed by Northcote Theatre, Melbourne on Monday April 27, before concluding at Town Hall, Auckland on Wednesday April 29.
Among the tour’s most anticipated highlights is the return of Takanaka’s famed surfboard guitar; a full-size guitar crafted from a real surfboard and performed with only a handful of times before spending over a decade on display. Fully restored for SUPER TAKANAKA WORLD LIVE 2026, the instrument will appear on stage again for the first time since its original showcase period, offering fans a rare glimpse of musical history reborn.
A Mastercard pre-sale will commence on Monday December 8 at 1pm local, running until Wednesday December 10 at 1pm local.
An Artist pre-sale will run concurrently from Monday December 8 at 1pm.
The Live Nation pre-sale begins Wednesday December 10 at 2pm local, closing Thursday December 11 at 1pm local.
General On Sale begins Thursday December 11 at 2pm local at livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz.
As Japanese City Pop continues its remarkable global resurgence; drawing new listeners through its nostalgic yet timeless sound; Live Nation remains committed to expanding the reach of these genre-defining artists across the world through the City Pop Waves series.
City Pop Waves will also present Taeko Onuki’s first-ever show outside Japan at The Wiltern, Los Angeles on February 7, 2026, and ANRI’s debut U.S. tour, with performances at Brooklyn Paramount on May 17 and The Wiltern on May 20, 2026.
