Connan Mockasin will return to Australia next month for two rare and intimate shows at the Sydney Opera House Playhouse on Thursday 16 October. It marks the New Zealand psych-pop artist’s first Australian performance since 2019.
Known for his eccentric blend of psychedelia, R&B and off-kilter indie pop, Mockasin has built a devoted following with his feather-light falsetto and dreamlike guitar work across albums including Forever Dolphin Love (2010), Caramel(2013) and Jassbusters (2018).
Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, said: “Connan Mockasin is one of contemporary music’s true enigmas… To experience him in the intimacy of the Playhouse will be unmatched and wonderfully weird – like stumbling upon a neighbourhood garage jam, but with one of the most singular musicians of our time.”
Over the past decade, Mockasin has quietly influenced peers and collaborators including Radiohead, Frank Ocean, Doja Cat, Tyler, The Creator, Steve Lacy, Mac DeMarco, James Blake and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Born Connan Tant Hosford in Napier and raised in Te Awanga, his moniker stems from a childhood habit of fashioning moccasin-like shoes from sheepskin and motorbike tyres. Today, he remains celebrated for his fearless experimentation and unconventional approach to songwriting, described as everything from “psych-funk oddball” to a pioneer of “trippy, mutated soul.”
EVENT DETAILS
WHO: Connan Mockasin
WHEN: Thursday 16 October 2025, 6 pm and 9pm
WHERE: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House
TICKETS: $89.90 + booking fee // sydneyoperahouse.com // +61 2 9250 7777
Insiders pre-sale: 9am AEST, Tuesday 9 September
What’s On pre-sale: 9am AEST Wednesday 10 September
GP on sale: 9am AEST, Thursday 11 September
