Live at Auckland Domain
13 December 2025
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park, A City Sings Itself Into Summer.
If there’s one immutable law of Auckland summers, it’s this: Christmas isn’t officially near until Christmas in the Park unfurls across the city like a shared exhale. I first arrived in New Zealand in 1994, and within weeks I found myself shoulder‑to‑shoulder with thousands of strangers, watching a free, world‑class show under the open sky. Thirty‑one years on, the magic remains intact, not because it’s flashy, but because it belongs to everyone.
Last night’s Christmas in the Park was once again a sprawling, generous celebration of music, culture and community. I shared it with friends, extended family, and what felt like an adopted whanau of tens of thousands, smiling faces, picnic rugs, glow sticks, kids darting between adults, and that uniquely Kiwi sense that for a few hours, nothing else really matters.
Proceedings began, as they should, with a Māori blessing, a grounding moment that reminded the crowd this isn’t just a concert, it’s a gathering. By 7:45pm Santa made his annual grand entrance, delivering a gently earnest Silent Night that set the tone: wholesome, unpretentious, and proudly sincere.
Around the park, the ecosystem was in full flow. Families queued like ants on a mission, some for free Coca‑Cola cans and merchandise, others for coffee, food trucks, or that perfect patch of grass with a clear sightline to the stage. Christmas in the Park isn’t just watched; it’s inhabited.
Musically, the night was a rollercoaster, as live, outdoor, alcohol‑free mega‑events tend to be. English glam‑rocker Dillon Rhodes took on Christmas Time by The Darkness, an ambitious choice by any measure. It’s a brutally hard song to sing, and while the intent was admirable, the execution wavered, with pitch issues creeping in. Outdoor acoustics can be unforgiving, wind playing havoc with high frequencies, but ultimately, the elements don’t sing the notes for you.
Redemption came swiftly in the form of Lavina Williams, who absolutely knocked it out of the park. Graceful, commanding, and utterly assured, Williams delivered her vocals like a seasoned pro hitting notes cleanly and confidently, reminding everyone why she remains one of Aotearoa’s most reliable live performers.
The Siva Samoa dance academy provided a powerful dance performance that injected the evening with pure joy, all energy, cultural and pride. Their infectious banter and powerful movement lifted the audience en masse, a reminder that Christmas in the Park has always thrived on representation and celebration, not just pop hooks.
Elsewhere, Lou’ana brought effervescent Christmas energy, Zoe Hunter impressed with a distinctive, soulful tone, and Lavina Williams once again owned the stage during a Diana Ross medley, this time emerging in a sparkling sequinned red dress with pink boas cascading from each sleeve. It was peak Miss Christmas glamour, and the crowd responded accordingly.
As I’m Coming Out, Upside Down and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough rang out, the park transformed into a sea of movement, glow sticks swaying like a school of dancing fish, all happily caught in the current of Motown joy.
A stirring Hallelujah, featuring The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo complete with bagpipes, delivered one of the night’s emotional high points, before the show leaned hard into communal nostalgia: We Built This City by Starship, Jump by Van Halen and Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, are songs engineered to be sung by crowds, not performers alone.
The Coca‑Cola All Star Vocalists, Studio 246, Code Red Crew, Auckland Academy of Dance, Freshmans, and Le Mastroriva Academy ensured the stage was rarely still. The production values overseen by Executive Producer Alan Smythe, Artistic Director Dixon Nacey, Musical Director Andrew Cochrane, and Head Choreographer Hadz, were slick without feeling over‑polished, striking that delicate balance between spectacle and sincerity.
Fireworks ignited the finale, cracked open the Auckland sky, and the full cast returned for Viva La Vida by Coldplay a final, euphoric sing‑along that sent families home buzzing, kids asleep on shoulders, and adults quietly grateful.
Christmas in the Park doesn’t pretend to be cutting‑edge. It doesn’t chase trends or algorithms. What it does, year after year, is far harder: it brings a city together, for free, and reminds us why live music and Christmas celebrations matter.
In a world increasingly divided and distracted, that’s not just entertainment. That’s a gift.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
Photography by Paul Marshall
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